


Arrangements

by kksunflowerbaby



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Percy Jackson Fusion, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson Fluff, BAMF Annabeth Chase, F/M, M/M, Multi, Percy is a Dork, Princes & Princesses, Princess Annabeth Chase, Protective Percy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2019-10-31 11:53:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 26,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17848949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kksunflowerbaby/pseuds/kksunflowerbaby
Summary: Where Annabeth is a princess who sneaked out to a tavern and while she was there she got into an argument with another patron. Fast forward to the next day where she is meeting the person who has been engaged to her since birth and oh god what did she do?Or, Percy and Annabeth have a habit of finding their way back to each other. Arranged Marriage AU.





	1. I Only Fight Men

The royal library is in dire need of updating. I’ve read almost every tome within these walls, and then some. I’m fortunate that my mother believes in education along with everything else a princess is supposed to have: poise, etiquette, posture, and diplomacy. Ever since I had learned to read, she had encouraged me to devour any book that should fall into my hands. 

I grew up along tales of fantasy, heroism, bravery, and the occasional romance. When my parents were traveling for royal business, I would be in the library. After my mandatory lessons on being a princess were completed, I would surround myself with additional knowledge for hours on end. This is the way it had been for years.

And why I am so confident in the fact that the royal library needs new books. 

Sighing in annoyance, I dismount the ladder that allowed for me to reach the upper bookcases. The skirts of my dress swish around my ankles, forcing me to move more slowly than I would have preferred. I am permitted to wear pants when my father isn’t within the castle. In less than a fortnight, he plans to travel to the next kingdom over. I would have a week of being able to be comfortable. 

Piper, my best friend and handmaiden, tuts as I hop down the last two rungs. “You’re going to break a heel, or your ankle.”

I smile at her concern. Piper has been with me for the past three years. I had met her when I had been outside of the castle, sneaking around. A common habit of mine that Piper doesn’t condone, which is ironic considering that’s how she came to be here. We had been fast friends and I requested her to be my handmaiden in order to rescue her from an abusive situation that neither one of us likes to discuss. 

“I haven’t broken a heel in over a year, Piper,” I remind her, walking past her. She turns quickly and keeps pace with me, despite her heels being quite higher than mine. “Once you showed me that there are other heels than stilettos, I’ve been golden.”

“You’re welcome again, for that,” Piper quips, and I can’t stop my chuckle at her words. She smiles in return and we continue our way through the castle. 

Despite her title, Piper doesn’t actually do any handmaiden-type duties for me. She’s simply my best friend with a convenient job position that keeps her safe within the castle walls. Meredith is my actual handmaiden, and we’re quite grateful for her. It’s a perfect system. 

“I’m going out again tonight,” I say suddenly. I had been planning it for a week or so now, and I wanted Piper to know. 

“Again? You went out just last month,” she protests, just as I knew she would. “It’s not safe; you don’t have guards with you out there. What if someone tried to hurt you?”

A valid question, I’ll give her that. No one knew of my “habit”, save for Piper and Chiron, the head of the guards. Chiron is a trusted ally of mine, ever since I had been a little girl. He had taught me how to fight after my mother had secretly requested it. 

“Every girl and woman should be able to protect themselves,” she had told him. He had agreed, and years later, I am just as trained as a guard of the castle. 

Not that anyone knows that besides him. Even Piper doesn’t know the extent of my ability to defend myself. It’s been hard keeping a secret from her, but I’ve had to. I can’t risk her telling anyone, especially my father. He’s not as progressive as my mother or Chiron, and I would probably be locked up until marriage. 

Ugh, _marriage_. I don’t really have to worry about that one, though. One of the many “benefits” of being a princess: I’ve had a fiancé since the day I was born. The kingdom near the sea has had an alliance with my father’s kingdom, and it relies on the marriage of me and the prince of that kingdom. 

Perseus. 

I’ve never met him, of course. But I will. Soon. My father has promised as much. He’s never been fond of the seaside kingdom, but this alliance has helped alleviate the tension. It’s the entire cause of the deal. Plus, their abundance of fish and other supplies would help bolster our economy, which has been slowly declining in recent years. 

I’m doing my part. Even if it means marrying a complete stranger. 

But I’ve never wanted love. I’ve just wanted independence and the ability to do as I want as a person, not just a woman. Many people of my kingdom still believe that there are two viable options for women: marriage and/or motherhood. As a princess, I’ve been able to escape that slightly. Only slightly. 

“I know I just went out last month, that’s why I want to go again tonight,” I answer Piper. “I only limit myself to once a month so I don’t get noticed, you know that.”

Piper sighs and I know she won’t press again. 

“I appreciate you keeping this secret,” I tell her, because I do. “You’re my best friend.”

“And you’re mine,” she answers, smiling. She holds out her arm and I take it, and we continue through the castle, connected. 

***

Hours later, after dinner, I retire to my room. My mother has always joked that my personal chambers looks more like an office or library rather than a princess’s bedroom. And I think she’s right. Stacks and stacks of books litter the floor and desk, which is also covered in papers and studies and notes I’ve taken. Everything is organized, of course, but to the average eye, it looks messy. 

I know where everything is, that’s what matters. 

At least that’s what I tell my mother when she complains. She always just smiles and shakes her head. 

I cross the room and sit down on my bed. It’s soft and layered with blankets upon blankets. It’s one of my favorite places in the world. But I don’t have time to enjoy my bed. I have to change my clothes before the guards rotate again. Chiron knows of my habits, and I had told him that I wanted to go tonight. I have to keep to the schedule. 

Standing, I move to my closet and root through old dresses until I reach a box meant for a hat. Inside, I have worn pants, a loose shirt, and a thin jacket. There’s also a small cap to hide my blonde hair. When in the disguise and with the right amount of slouching, I don’t look like myself at all. Which is perfect. 

First, I remove my makeup from the day. This alone will make it hard to recognize me, the public is used to seeing portraits of when I’m fully done up and painted to the nines. It’s also nice to have a bare face, it’s a rarity these days. 

I dress quickly and slip to the front of my room, waiting for the signal. A small knock on the door a minute later jolts me into action. I join the guard in the hallway. 

“Good evening, Anne,” Chiron says, referring to my fake name for when I venture outside of the castle. 

He had originally thought it too close to my real name, but the assurance of how publicly known it is that I despise the nickname would throw a bit of suspicion off should anyone put two and two together. He had only held up his hands and let me go with it. There hasn’t been any incidents yet, so I’m keeping it.

“Hello, Chiron,” I reply. 

To avoid any recognition, that’s the extent of our conversation. I keep my head low, with the cap pulled over my face as much as possible to keep anyone from seeing who was accompanying the guard to the outer gate. When we reach it, he nods and says, “Be safe.”

“I will.”

And I’m outside the castle. 

I take a deep breath, but the air is no different than inside the castle. Moving quickly, I trot towards town. Within minutes, I’m within the limits and moving towards the small pub. As with the rest of my “visits”, this is one of the first places I go. It’s interesting to be with the people of my kingdom as an equal and hear what they really have to say. 

Not all of it is flattering, but that’s the life of a royal. I’ve probably thought worse about myself. 

The pub is crowded, but I find a seat at the bar at the end, towards the back. The perfect place to not attract attention. The barmaid looks at me quickly, but there isn’t anything in her expression to give away her thoughts. I’m just another patron to her. I order a mead and she puts it down in front of me. 

“But that’s the point!” A loud exclamation makes me look over my shoulder.

It’s a man, of course, and he’s talking loudly to his two companions, one with ginger hair and one with blond. They have a table not too far from where I’m seated, and I can hear everything they’re saying.

“The longsword is a much better weapon, think of the advantages!” The dark haired man continues, waving his arms dramatically. 

“I disagree,” the blond speaks up, raising his mug to his lips. 

“And what are your points?” 

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. My preferred weapon is a dagger, because there are a bunch of advantages to using it, but some of them involve my gender and the ability to hide it in my skirts. I can’t exactly bring that into conversation. I sip my mead quietly, continuing to eavesdrop. 

“The quarterstaff is quite the weapon,” the red haired one speaks up now. 

“Oh, Grover, of course you would choose that!” The raven haired man and the blond both laugh. 

“The rapier is quite magnificent, I’ll have you know,” the blond says, verbalizing his weapon of choice. 

At that, I snort quite unladylike into my mead. What unoriginal weapons!

The quiet silence at their table makes me slightly paranoid, and I look over my shoulder to see them staring at me. They had heard me.

The raven haired man is smiling, almost out of disbelief. Is he that unused to someone not agreeing with him?

“And which weapon would you choose, lad?” He asks, making it sound like a challenge.

One of my fatal flaws is my competitiveness. I can never back down from a challenge. 

“Dagger,” I answer quickly, trying to make my voice deeper than its usual pitch. 

“Huh,” he replies, turning back to his mates. “D’ya hear that, lads? We have ourselves someone with a _real_ weapon!”

“Mockery is unbecoming,” I mutter waspishly before I can stop myself. 

“Explain your choice before deciding what’s unbecoming,” he quips immediately, tilting his head to the side. 

I take him in, trying to size him up. He’s taller than me, probably at least by a good half foot. His dark hair is somewhat long, coming down over his forehead. I can tell he’s muscular, assumably from training with a longsword. His green eyes are taking me in as well, and I have to stop the urge to straighten my back. I can’t give away my tutelage. 

“Closer weapon range has more damage ability, it can be hidden easily, and can be quite discreet when needed to be,” I retort, not giving a damn about my voice. “Unlike your precious longsword.”

“I agree with her,” the blond says quietly, taking another drink. 

_Her?_

Oh, shit. I should have been more careful. 

“I have to go,” I say, not wanting to risk anything else. I make it to the front of the pub before looking back, and frowning in dismay. The trio of men are following me. 

I hurry now, trying to put as much space between me and them as possible. I’m a dozen yards outside of the pub before they even exit. 

“Hey!” I hear they call. “We just want to talk!”

Foolishly, I stop. With my right hand, I feel the outside of my thigh. My dagger is hidden there, ready to be used if need be. I can’t let them get too close, but I do want to hear what they want to say. Damn my curiosity. 

They stop a good amount of feet from me, and I feel more comfortable. I don’t drop my guard, though. I can’t afford to. 

“What’s a lass like you doing in parts like this?” The raven haired man asks. 

“Whatever I damn please,” I reply. 

The blond and ginger laugh quietly, much to the dismay of their friend. He shoots them an exasperated look over his shoulder. I smile at him when he turns back to me. 

“That’s fair,” he replies slowly. “I just wanted to tell you that I agree with your points.”

I didn’t expect that. 

“Thanks,” I say, unsure of why he would chase me out of the pub to say that. 

“It makes total sense, for a woman’s weapon.”

There it is. I’m pretty sure my right eye twitches. 

“I respect you knowing how to fight with a weapon,” he continues. “I believe women should be able to defend themselves at all times. But the longsword is the one true weapon.”

At that, my anger dims marginally. He isn’t sexist, he’s simply weaponist. If that’s a word. 

“Fight me, then,” I say, surprising myself and him. “I’ll show you what the better weapon is.”

He stutters something unintelligible, thrown off by my challenge. His friends exchange glances behind him, their expressions filled with concern. I doubt it’s concern on their friend’s part. 

“I don’t fight women,” he manages finally. 

“You’re right,” I say, smiling at his decline. “I can’t fight you.”

He nods, happy with my statement. 

“I only fight men.”

The blond’s chin about hits the floor. The ginger chuckles, trying to hide it behind his hand. 

“I think you’ve met your match, P,” I hear him say. 

I take in his expression one last time. It’s shock, but also a glimmer of…admiration? I have earned this man’s respect with just my words and knowledge. 

“I’m Percival,” he says, extending a hand to shake. 

“And I’m Anne,” I give him my fake name, reaching to shake his hand. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Anne,” Percival replies. 

“And you, too,” I smile at him. 

The bell tower chimes, then, and I know I must return. 

“It’s late,” I say, creating a segue for my exit. “I should be getting home.”

“Would you like for us to escort you?” The blonde steps forward. 

“I appreciate that, but no, thank you.” I can’t risk them finding out my real identity. And I still can’t trust them. What if they actually were out to hurt me?

“Fair enough,” Percival says, seeming to understand the latter part of my logic. “I hope you get home safely. Though I suspect you would give anyone a hard time should they try anything.”

I see right through his statement and smile. “You’re absolutely right.”

With that, the trio of men wave to me and turn, heading back to the pub. I wait until they’re back inside before making my way back to the castle. I don’t let myself think of them until I’m safe within the walls of the palace. I have to keep my wits about me when I’m out, after all. 

Chiron escorts me back to my room, as usual. He seems to notice how I’m off from when I had left. 

“Meet anyone interesting?” He asks when we reach my room. 

“You could say that,” I answer cryptically. 

“As long as you’re being careful, princess,” he says, using my title. He only uses that when he wants to make a big point. 

“You know I am,” I reply, smiling gently at my friend. “Thank you, for everything.”

“Anything for you,” Chiron says, nodding his head. 

I slip inside my chambers and return my clothes back to the hat box. I dress for bed and am in my bed less than half an hour later. Falling asleep after a night like mine is difficult, but after some odd hours, I manage. 

***

In the morning, my father drops a bomb at breakfast. 

We’re seated in our usual arrangement, my mother and father on my left, and I’m on the end of the table. We face the grand dining room, empty. When it’s full, it’s filled with laughter and chatter for hours. The juxtaposition to when it’s empty is disconcerting. 

“I have just received word that the king of the seaside kingdom is within our boundaries,” my father announces, surprising my mother and I. 

I look to him questioningly, my brain already coming up with thousands of inquiries. 

_Did the king bring reports about the affairs of his kingdom? How are their crops doing? Are his citizens happy? Did he bring his son with him?_

My father seems to see my expression and understand. “Yes, Perseus is with him and they plan on joining us for dinner. I’m looking forward to it quite a bit.”

I drop my fork on my plate and the clatter echoes about the empty room. My mother looks at me with concern, but I only have eyes for the king. 

“I’m meeting my betrothed tonight?” 

I have never referred to him by name, just our bond or his title or his relation to the king. It would feel weird to associate feelings to a name of the person I haven’t met yet. I wanted to meet him before using his given name. 

“Yes, so you better get ready,” my father jokes. 

I don’t laugh. 

I’m thrown off guard, for sure. I hadn’t expected to meet him for a while, at least. Tonight seems so close. Because it is. 

“I should,” I murmur, excusing myself from their presence. “I will see you at dinner.”

The rest of the day passes slowly yet quickly. I had found Piper as quick as I could and filled her in on what had happened. When she had finally stopped squealing with excitement (she’s convinced that I will fall in love with my fiancé the moment I lay eyes on him), she helps me dress in a blue dress that I love. Despite my mixed feelings about the affair, I should give a good first impression. 

When it’s finally time to go down to dinner, I almost don’t believe it. A squire had told me about an hour ago that the royals of the seaside kingdom had arrived, but I had only frowned and continued getting ready with Piper’s help. 

“Let’s go meet the love of your life!” Piper chirps as she descends the stairs with me. 

I have to move slowly because of the many skirts designed in with my dress. My heels aren’t helping either. My best friend is _thisclose_ to dragging me to the dining hall herself if I hadn’t expressed how slowly I wish to walk. 

This is the tipping point. The beginning to the rest of my life. I hate thinking about it that way, but it’s true. Nothing will ever be exactly the same once I enter the dining room. Once I meet Perseus, I might be able to envision my future with more clarity than mindless speculation. 

When I enter, both kings stand and I curtsy. I immediately scan the room, but I don’t see anyone outside of my family and the king of the seaside kingdom. A rush of disappointment floods through me before I can stop it. I don’t try to analyze what it means. 

“Accept my apologies on behalf of my son, Princess,” he says, nodding his head. “He is attending to some business just outside this hall.”

“Not a problem, my King,” I reply, taking my seat next to my mother. Across from me, Perseus’s place setting is untouched. 

_What will he look like? _I muse.__

__When I hear the door open again, I don’t look up. I don’t want to see him until he’s right in front of me. When I can see him clearly and make my mind up about how my future might go._ _

__I keep my eyes trained on my plate, not looking up until I hear his chair scoot closer to the table._ _

__Taking a deep breath, I steel myself. I look up._ _

__“Oh shit,” Percival says._ _

___Oh, shit, indeed._ _ _


	2. Rumors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy can see the truth about what he's heard.

Percy had heard all about the headstrong princess of the inland kingdom. He knew she was said to be opinionated and wise. The rumors of his fiancée had surrounded him for years. Finally, after meeting her, he can say that they’re true. He smiles to himself, knowing he'll never be bored with Princess Annabeth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter to encompass his feelings! Every other chapter will have a short snippet of how he's feeling for clarity! Thank you for reading! Chapter Three will be up soon.


	3. Great Expectations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surprised at the identity of her betrothed, Annabeth gets to know him a bit more.

“Perseus!” The king of the coastal kingdom scolds his son. I can tell by his expression that he’s as surprised by his outburst as the rest of us. He turns to my mother and father, his face reddening, “Please accept apologies for my son; I’m not sure what has come over him.”

My father waves his hand, making a show of how gracious he is to accept the apology. “Of course, Poseidon,” he murmurs. 

“I apologize, Your Majesty,” the prince mutters quickly, ducking his head. “I was surprised by the beauty of the princess.”

_Oh_.

He’s covering his tracks, I realize. He obviously can’t reveal that we have already met, especially since it took place outside of the walls of the castle. My father would lose his mind if he knew, and Chiron would lose his job. Percy’s quick thinking has saved many people. 

“I’m flattered, my prince,” I tell him, tilting my head to the side slightly. I try to signal with my eye that I understood what he had said. A small quirk of his lips assures me that he sees. 

All expectations I had had in the man I’m destined to marry disappear as I take in the man before me. Anything that I had imagined had been so different than Perseus, or should I say Percival? He had given a fake name, which had been wise. I doubt he had permission to be wandering around without protection. Or perhaps his friends had been the protection?

“Perhaps we should give them some time to get aquatinted,” my mother suggests, bringing me out of my thoughts. My gaze snaps to her, revealing my surprise at her question. “Annabeth, why don’t you give him a tour?”

I never expected my mother to be the one to try to push us together. My father had been adamant about how he wanted the relationship to work, but my mother had never said a word. And now she’s rooting for it? Huh. 

“Of course,” I murmur, ever the dutiful daughter. It would look quite poor if I had refused her in front of the visiting king. My father would never let me hear the end of it. “My prince, would you like to follow me?”

The sound of our chairs moving as we stand is loud, making me want to cringe. My heels click on the marble floor as I lead my betrothed outside of the dining hall. When the door is closed behind us, Perseus gives a loud chuckle.

I turn to him, not expecting his outburst. I raise my eyebrow at him.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he says, still grinning. “I’m just surprised that I’m seeing you again so soon.”

“Well, get used to it,” I say before I can stop myself. 

“I’ve heard the rumors about you, and wow, they’re true!” 

I set my jaw and glare up at him. “And what exactly do you mean by that?”

“Nothing bad, _Anne_ ,” he replies easily, unfazed. “The rumors were that you’re an individual who speaks her mind. Which I like.”

“Don’t call me that,” I tell him, not acknowledging his other words. I’ll analyze them later, when I’m alone. 

“You’re the one who chose it,” he says, tilting his head to the side. 

“It’s publicly known that I dislike that name,” I explain shortly. “If someone were to see me and hear ‘Anne’, they won’t think it’s me.”

“Kind of risky,” he observes. 

_He sounds just like Chiron._

“There haven’t been any issues so far,” I say, proud of myself. 

“I chose Percival because he’s a character in a book that I had read that I like,” Perseus says, his tone conversational. 

I immediately think of all the books I’ve read to see if I know which book he’s talking about. After a few seconds, nothing comes to mind. “Which book is that?”

“You probably haven’t read it,” he says with a small wave of his hand. “It’s rather obscure.”

“I’m sure that it’s within the walls of our library,” I challenge, my feathers ruffled from his ‘exclusive’ book. “Why don’t I show you?”

“Whatever you’d like, princess,” Perseus smiles. 

I don’t return his smile. Turning on my heel, I breeze towards the library. He keeps pace with me easily; languidly, even. With our shared silence, I have a bit of time to think. The prince is so different from what I had expected. 

Over the years, I’ve met my share of royals and they have all been cut from the same cloth. A bit arrogant, snooty, and holier-than-thou with their attitudes. The princes I’ve had to deal with have all been immature, spoiled man-boys who grew up doing whatever they pleased. The princesses were a bit more varied, some vain and some kind, some educated and some in search of a husband. On a rare occasion, there was a mix of everything. 

But somehow the prince walking besides me doesn’t fit into any category. He’s unlike any other royal I’ve ever seen and my curiosity wants me to dig deeper and get to know why he’s different. I’m going to marry him, after all. I’ll have to get to know him sometime. 

“Something on your mind, Anne?” Perseus interrupts my musing. I had been staring at him while we walked. 

“Don’t call me that, please,” I murmur. 

“I do apologize, I didn’t intend to be rude,” he replies, seemingly sincerely. “What would you like to be called? I don’t particularly like titles and the like, unfortunately.”

“Annabeth will suffice,” I say after a moment. In all of my years, I’ve actually never been asked what I preferred. It was always _Princess_ or _Your Highness_ or something of that sort. My mother and father and Piper have been the only ones to address me by my true name. 

It doesn’t feel as weird as it should that I want Perseus to call me by the name only family uses. 

“I like Percy, by the way,” he says, smiling with one side of his mouth. “Perseus is a bit of a mouthful after a while.”

I laugh with him at that. Percy definitely fits him better than his true name. 

Looking to my left, I see that we have arrived at our destination. I tell him as much and open the rosewood door so that he could enter before me. I don’t miss the small gasp he lets out at the sight. 

“I bet you can guess why this is my favorite place in the world,” I say before I can stop myself. Why is it so easy to talk to him? And why don’t I mind it?

“How many books are there?” Percy’s voice is filled with wonderment. 

“Thousands,” I tell him, joining him in the middle of the grand library. 

There are three floors in total, with two overlooking us with their balconies. Everything is painted with white and gold, which seems to glitter in the dimming sunlight. Grand windows are situated on the west wall, bathing us in the glow. There are tables here and there among the room, complete with candles and writing utensils should a reader feel inclined to journal their thoughts. I can’t count the amount of hours I have spent here. 

“It’s amazing,” he says, turning slowly in a circle to take in the whole room from our vantage point. “I’m guessing you’ve read all of them?”

“Something like that,” I smile, thinking of the hundred or so books that I haven’t been able to get my hands on yet. “Whenever I have the time, I try to come here.”

“That’s what the ocean is like for me,” Percy admits. “It’s so close to our castle that it’s easy to get to the beach and watch the waves for hours. Sometimes I’ll go fishing with my father, and that’s one of the calmest feelings I’ve ever felt.”

“So you’re close with your father?” 

Percy’s expression becomes thoughtful. He takes a moment before saying, “More so in recent years. It hasn’t always been easy, but we worked to make a relationship that was strong. Are you close with your parents?”

Like he had done, I take my time in answering. “My mother, more so than my father. But I love both dearly.”

The diplomatic answer. 

It didn’t seem like a good idea to admit that my father had wanted a son but had a daughter. He didn’t want me to act like anything other than the perfect princess. That’s not something to disclose in the first conversation with my betrothed.

“Would you like to see the ballroom?” I ask, changing the subject. The sunlight was fading so much that it was harder to appreciate the beauty of the library. 

“Whatever you would like, Annabeth,” he says, gesturing for me to lead the way. 

As we make our way through the castle, I point out various paintings and if the artist lived within our kingdom or not. Percy nods along, commenting politely, but I notice he’s more interested in the various weapons and suits of armor that decorate the halls. After a moment of silence, I talk about those weapons and their origins. 

He’s much more enraptured in those commentaries. 

When we reach the ballroom, I find it’s filled with servants. They were cleaning quickly, mopping and dusting the floors while others scrubbed at the grouts and cleaned the windows. 

“There must be a ball, soon,” I muse, watching them work. 

“Probably for my father’s arrival,” Percy speculates, and I nod. 

“Are you a fan of balls?” I turn to him. 

“Yes and no,” he answers. “I’m not big on dancing. It is a great time to see my friends from outside of the castle, though. That’s the best time to see them because they’ll dress up as lords and fit right in with everyone else.”

I must have given him a questioning look because he nods before continuing. 

“I should mention that my two best friends aren’t from a noble bloodline. They’re two people I met while I was outside of the castle. I would always have them come to the balls so that we could see each other without worrying. I brought them in as advisors recently.”

I think of Piper. Percy and I had done the exact same thing. How ironic is it to have met outside of castle walls, just like how we had met our favorite people in the world?

“You’re nothing like what I expected,” I blurt out. 

Percy looks down at me and smiles. “Neither are you, Annabeth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is up a bit later than I had intended, but school and midterms and illness came in the way of writing. Here is the third chapter, I hope you enjoy!


	4. Beauty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy realizes there is more to the eye.

Percy looks down at the blonde, smiling at her. She smiles back, her grey eyes crinkling. 

She truly is everything he had wanted and more in his betrothed. He had met women who were attractive, but that was their only grace. With Annabeth, she was more. 

He had meant what he had said when he had admitted that he was caught off guard by her beauty. He truly had been. She had looked so different from the night before, outside of the castle walls, but it was unmistakably her. 

As the night had went on and he got to see more sides of her, not just her telling him that she only fights men or as a docile princess, but as the woman she truly was. Passionate, smart as a whip, and fiercely kind. 

He is looking forward to getting to know her more and more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Each Percy chapter will get longer and longer! Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	5. Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth tells Piper everything, and runs into people in the kitchen. Annabeth's father has a secret to share.

I wake up with the sun, as I normally do. My schedule today is lighter than it usually would be, due to the arrival of the royalty from the coastal kingdom. Nothing in the early morning, thankfully. I plan on taking the time to catch up with Piper and fill her in on last night. I know she would dying to know. Following that, I will have tea with my mother, and then lessons with my tutor until late in the afternoon. When there will be a dinner with all the royals and I will get to see Percy again. 

I don’t know if I am excited to see him again or nervous. Perhaps some combination of the two. Either way, I have a feeling about seeing him tonight. Our conversation last night had surprised me, especially when he shared about his best friends. 

We’re actually quite a lot alike in several ways. That could be a good thing or a bad thing in the long run. So far, it’s been a good thing and I pray for it to stay that way. My parents have been lucky to be happy in their arranged marriage, but I know of others who didn’t share the same fate. I would hate to end up like them. 

I slip out of my warm bed, ignoring how soft the sheets feel against my legs. Dressing quickly, I don a baby blue gown and velvet slippers. Much more desirable than heels and appropriate for my schedule today. Brushing my hair quickly, I easily braid it away from my face. 

Years ago, I had turned down the offer from my father of having maids-in-waiting to help me get ready for each day. I have yearned to be independent from a very early age and that has not changed. For more complicated agendas, such as balls, I will accept help, but most days I take care of myself. Even though Piper fits the job description, she knows better than to try offering. 

On certain days, I’ll let her choose my outfit and the grin she gives me makes it worth it to deal with frills and heels for a day. That day had been yesterday, so I am free to wear slippers today. 

I find Piper in the halls on my way to the kitchens. Her hair is braided, like mine, but that’s where the similarities end. Her braid is complex and beautiful, wrapping her fair face with fiery locks. Her yellow dress fits her perfectly and her heels look almost too tall to walk in. She doesn’t seem to struggle, however, as she sprints towards me.

“Tell me all about last night!” 

I smile at her enthusiasm, wondering how she’s jumping so high with excitement in those precarious shoes. 

“All right, I’ll tell you,” I promise, before looking around the hallway. We’re alone, but I’m not sure if we would stay that way. “Here, let’s go somewhere more private!”

“Oh, my gosh, what happened that you can’t tell me out in the open?” Piper nearly screeches, her grin threatening to tear her beautiful face in two. “Did you _kiss_?” 

“No!” I shush her, lookin around again frantically to make sure no one had heard her. I would hate for that unfortunate rumor to float around without a base of truth. “It’s just that there’s stuff that only you can know, like where I met him.”

With that secretive statement, Piper launches into silence and follows me as I rush us through the spacious halls until I find a small side room that is used for storage. I usher her in and close the door behind us. Piper giggles, and I laugh with her. It feels a bit ridiculous, to be holed up like this, but I can’t utter the words I want to share out in the open. 

“Okay, tell me,” she says in a hushed voice, leaning in towards me. 

“Okay, so…”

I delve into the story, of how I had met him in the tavern and had accidentally revealed that I was eavesdropping on their debate. I shared how he isn’t sexist, thank all that is holy, but simply weaponist. Then I tell her of how we meet again at the dinner, where I had realized I have to marry a guy I had indirectly insulted the night before. And then I share how he had helped his best friends, and Piper smiles.

“Oh, Annabeth,” she murmurs, smiling brightly. “He sounds perfect for you. Handsome, smart, equalist? You are so lucky!”

“I’m lucky that he’s nothing like Lord Gabe,” I whisper conspicuously, thinking of the terribly rude man who visits sometimes. “He’s definitely more than I had ever hoped for.”

“I’m so happy for you,” Piper says, meaning every word. “I had prayed for you to marry a man you deserve.”

“Thank you, Piper,” I say, taking her hand and squeezing it in mine. 

“Can we get out of this cupboard now?” Piper asks, looking around us. I glance with her, and see indeed that there are cleaning supplies surrounding us. 

We laugh together again, and open the door to the hallway. We tumble out, hand in hand, giggling more than would be considered ladylike by my etiquette tutor. We blink against the bright light coming in from the windows. 

“What are you doing in the broom closet?” A voice from behind us startle us, and we whirl towards it.

It’s a shorter man of Latin descent, with unruly black hair and a smirk. 

“Hello, Leo,” I greet him. He was one of the cook’s helpers, who actually comes up with most of the recipes that everyone in the castle adores. He’s smart beyond his years and talented in the workshop as well. He had made several improvements around the castle in recent years. 

“Hello, _princesa_ ,” he says, tilting his head to me. “And hello, Piper.”

“Hi,” she smiles at him. 

“Back to my earlier question,” he gestures to the open door behind us. “what were you doing?”

“Sharing secrets,” Piper answers honestly, but in such a tone that it doesn’t sound like the truth.

“Okay,” Leo shrugs, holding up his calloused hands. “I don’t care, either way, but I just wanted to know. _Princesa_ , have you eaten yet? I can take you to the kitchens to grab your usual.”

“That would be great,” I tell him, and we follow him to the warmest room in the castle where the delicious aroma of baking is always in the air. 

When we reach it, Leo gestures for us to sit at one of the tables near the stove. We do so, and he immediately begins buzzing around the kitchen, almost too fast for us to follow his movements. A contraption he had made whistles suddenly, and he sprints to the other side of the kitchen. Pulling out a fresh loaf of bread, he holds it up to me and Piper in a silent offering. 

We nod fervently, already smelling the sweet pumpkin wafting from the bread. He cuts us each two slices, and we bite into it. 

“Amazing as always, Leo,” I praise him, closing my eyes as I enjoy the taste. 

“I know,” Leo says, before laughing. “Oh, did you mean the bread?”

I roll my eyes jokingly at his statement. I’m used to his commentary and it doesn’t faze me anymore. Piper snorts, which makes Leo squint at her. They have an interesting friendship but I know they both care about each other. 

“I told you I smelled food!” 

All three of us turn to the entrance to the kitchen, where the unfamiliar voice had come from.

“Grover, I told you, we can’t just roam the castle whenever we please!” Another voice protests, definitely farther away from the first disembodied voice. 

“We have connections with the princess,” the first voice argues, sounding closer. 

“No, boys, that would be me with the connection,” a voice I finally recognize chimes in. 

I sit up straight and almost choke on the pumpkin bread in my mouth. 

Percy and his two friends from outside of the tavern enter the kitchen, the red-haired man in front, then Percy, and then the blond. They’re all dressed casually, seemingly fresh from a workout or training of some kind. I can see the light dabs of sweat on Percy’s brow. 

“Oi, who said you could be in here?” Leo demands, planting a hand on his hip. Even though he’s quite young, he’s more or less second-in-command of the kitchen. And boy, does he take that title seriously. 

The blond holds up his hands, obviously feeling guilty, and says, “I’m sorry, Grover was starving and said he could smell the food from the courtyard.”

“And it smells good,” the red-haired man, Grover, nods. “May we have some?”

“He meant to say please,” Percy says, smiling and shaking his head gently. He looks up to Leo and then sees me behind him. “Hello, Annabeth.”

I raise my left hand, the one not clutching pumpkin bread, and offer a wave. My mouth is still full, and I chew furiously to finish my food. I can feel Piper giggling next to me and I fight the urge to swat her arm. 

“Yes, since he,” Leo points to Percy, “asked so nicely.”

He cuts them some slices as well and hands it to them. The three of them eat ravenously, obviously starving, and finish it in moments. 

“This is amazing,” the blond man says, licking a crumb off his finger. 

“I know,” Leo replies, placing the hand back on his hip. 

Piper and I look at each other and laugh at Leo’s response. Only he would stand up to the prince of another land and his friends and act so confident. Leo is a lot of things, and entertainment is one of them. 

Percy laughs at his statement as well, and looks up to see my smile. His grin turns to a soft smile, meant just for me. My heart flutters before I can realize why. 

“I see you found our kitchen,” I say, before internally cringing. That was the most obvious statement! 

“Well, Grover here, he did,” the prince gestures to the man next to him. 

“It’s nice to see you again,” Grover says, smiling and inclining his head.

“And I’m Jason,” the blond introduces himself. “Apparently I don’t need to be mentioned because I don’t have a superior sense of smell.”

Piper laughs, covering her mouth with her delicate hand. 

Wait, I know that move.

It’s her flirting laugh.

When handsome lords would come to visit, they couldn’t flirt with me because of my engagement but could flirt with my friend as much as they wanted to. If she thought they were attractive, she would flirt back. 

Which is what she’s doing now.

I smile to myself, happy. I hope it would work out between the two of them. Judging by the way Jason isn’t taking his eyes off her, there’s a good chance. 

“You’re just jealous!” Grover replies, turning to look at his companion. 

“And here I thought you were jealous when I bested you in jousting, what, twenty minutes ago?” Jason snarks, laughter in his eyes.

Percy catches my eye and shrugs as if to say, _What can you do?_

I mouth back, _They’re your friends_.

His cheeky grin in response to that makes my heart do a small flip. 

“I need room to bake, so I need you to clear out,” Leo commands, slicing one more slice of pumpkin bread for the five of us and then ushering us out back into the castle halls. “Always a joy, _princesa_ and Piper.”

We all burst out laughing as he slams the door behind us. Piper takes a small bite of her pumpkin bread, her eyes twinkling. Somehow, while we were being ushered out, Percy and I have ended up standing next to each other. Jason and Piper were quite close to each other, I noticed as well. 

“I don’t think we’ll be allowed back in there for a while,” Grover says mournfully. 

“Leo’s a softie,” I tell the red haired man. “If you smile at him enough and laugh at his jokes, he’ll let you visit the kitchen every morning.”

Grover raises his eyebrows in surprise and nods. “That is very useful information.”

I see Jason open his mouth, about to say something, when a loud bell chiming cuts him off. Piper and I meet each other’s eyes in alarm; we know what that bell is used for. 

In our kingdom, there are three bells. Happy chiming bells, designed for weddings and social events with positive connotations, regular bells for when speeches are made and citizens are invited within the castle walls, and the bells that are chiming right now. 

The emergency bells. 

“We need to go, _now_ ,” I say, picking up the front of my dress and rushing towards the center of the castle. I hear the footfalls of everyone behind me and it calms me knowing that my friends will be safe. 

I don’t suspect an attack on the castle, which was the original intention for these harsh bells. In the past twenty years, the bells has signified every royal member needing to get to the safe room, located in the center of the castle. It could be for anything, honestly. I think the last time it was used was when there was a riot outside the castle walls and the guards were worried that they might enter the courtyard. But that was almost five years ago. 

“What’s going on?” Percy asks, keeping pace beside me. 

“I don’t know,” I answer worriedly, turning my head to look at him. “It’s something important, that’s for sure.”

Minutes later, we are in front of the safe room. I recognize Chiron standing in front of the door, telling three guards in front of him where to go. When they leave with their assignments, he turns to us and opens the door. As I slip past him, I hear him murmur so that only I can hear, “ _Pay attention while you can_.”

What did he mean by that?

Inside the safe room, there is a large table in the middle of the room already packed with people. My mother and father and Percy’s father, Poseidon, are at the front of the table, with two empty seats next to them. I assume they’re for me and Percy, and we move forward to sit with our parents. As ‘advisors’, Piper, Jason, and Grover are moved so that they stand in the back of the room. 

As soon as everyone is seated and in their proper place, my father stands from his seat. He is quiet for a long moment, mulling over his words. When he speaks, it’s with a commanding yet gentle tone. 

“Our kingdom is going to be attacked within a fortnight.”

The cries of surprise and outrage fill the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is up much faster than I had anticipated, but the words were just flowing this weekend! I can't wait for this series to truly develop, thank you so much for reading! What was your favorite part? What do you want to see happen? If I see any ideas that I like, I want to incorporate them into the story!


	6. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy POV. He comes up with an idea that Annabeth likes.

Percy’s gaze immediately cuts to the princess seated across from him. Her grey eyes are wide, filled with shock and disbelief. Her mouth is slightly agape, truly revealing how surprised she is. When she looks to the prince, he tries to give her an encouraging smile. Judging by her frown, it might have come across as a grimace. 

Annabeth turns to her father and asks, “By whom?”

Her father gives her a look that Percy can’t decipher. Annabeth must know what he had meant, because she leans back in her seat and trains her eyes on her hands, clasped in her lap. A small blush crosses her cheeks.

“The northern kingdom has been restless for years,” the king says, looking to Percy and his father. “They have always wanted our lands for their fertile ability, but we have always refused their answers. Now, with the marriage that would unite our kingdoms approaching, they are going to do something about it.”

Poseidon nods his head sagely, absorbing the information. After a long moment, he begins to speak. “I have feared that this could be an outcome. As a symbol of our unity, I promise to fight alongside you with my troops.”

The king smiles thinly in response. “I appreciate the gesture.”

Percy’s attention drifts back to his betrothed. She hasn’t moved at all, still staring at her lap. He knows how smart she is; she’s almost read every book in the library. She is bound to have a strategy or an idea of how to tackle this issue. 

But her father had shut her down for asking a simple question. He thinks back to their conversation about the relationship with her parents just a day earlier. When asked if she was close with them, she had replied, _“My mother, more so than my father. But I love both dearly.”_

Percy wonders if this is the reason for her answer. Glancing to the queen, he sees a small frown tugging at her lips. Her gaze keeps drifting to her daughter and then to her husband. It could be worry for her family with the impending doom, but Percy suspects it has to do with the king’s reaction. 

A small flicker of protectiveness jolts through him. He does care for Annabeth, especially after the morning they had spent laughing with his friends. It makes him frown to see her so quiet and withdrawn. 

The meeting continues, with advisors inputting here and there. The two kings bring ideas to the figurative table and debate over the other methods. Percy occasionally gives his opinion, but Annabeth remains completely silent. When one advisor suggests waiting the northern kingdom out, she rolls her eyes so completely that for a moment, Percy worries her eyes would stick. 

Her expression at the agreement by the other advisors is enough to almost make Percy laugh. Annabeth’s eyes cut to him and she raises her eyebrows as if to say, _I can’t believe these idiots._

“What if we didn’t do that?” Percy ventures to ask, making Annabeth’s eyebrows go even higher. 

The kings discuss it, and the advisors mumble their dissent. Annabeth tilts her head to the side, as if analyzing Percy’s statement following her obvious disagreement. 

An hour later, the meeting comes to a conclusion without any concrete decision being made. Annabeth had not spoken, but had occasionally did something that would make Percy smile or voice his opinion, usually in favor of Annabeth’s thoughts. 

As everyone stood from the table, he says, “Princess, why don’t I walk you to your room?”

Poseidon smiles slyly, having seen their interactions throughout the meeting. “A splendid idea, Perseus.”

Annabeth’s father nods shortly while her mother smiles. 

When they get into the hall, Annabeth sets a brisk pace. Percy’s legs are a lot longer and it’s no trouble for him to stay right next to her. Once they are three halls away, she stops and crosses her arms. 

“Yes?” Percy asks. 

“You said what I couldn’t in there.”

“Yes,” he repeats, only without the questioning tone. 

“Thank you.”

Percy nods. “You deserve to be able to say what you think. Gods know you have more in there than most of the advisors combined.”

It’s Annabeth’s turn to nod. 

“I think we’re going to make a good team,” he says, smiling at her. “Here’s my idea.”

As he tells her, Annabeth’s grin spreads wider and wider.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing Percy's perspective! Thank you so much for reading, leave a comment down below!


	7. Cinderella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth POV. Percy gives her an idea and asks an interesting question. Chiron's lessons are put to the test.

“Here’s my idea,” Percy says, looking over his shoulder to make sure that we’re alone. “Why don’t I be the in-between for you? I can speak as much as I want in the meetings; you’re a bit limited.”

I smile, immediately warming up to the idea. I also feel a bit wary with discussing this out in the open. “Let’s go somewhere a bit more private.”

I lead us down the hall a bit further and pull quickly at a green tapestry mounted on the wall. It moves slightly, revealing the door that hides behind it. There are hidden rooms all over the castle; it used to be a common pastime of mine to try to find them all. I know of thirteen at the moment. 

Percy and I enter into the small room, furbished sparsely with two chairs and a small table. I take one chair while he slides into the other. 

“So you want to say the things that I can’t say?” I ask, probing him to continue explaining his idea. 

“Yes,” he says. “I saw how you reacted when your father glared at you for asking a totally reasonable question. And then, after hearing some of the most ridiculous ideas I’ve ever heard, you stayed quiet. I don’t know you that well, yet, but you don’t seem like the type of person to let people entertain those sort of ideas. Am I wrong to assume that if you had been able to say something, you would?”

“No, you wouldn’t,” I murmur, looking down at my lap. For years, I had barely been able to attend meetings such as the one we had just left. My father didn’t believe in letting women handle topics such as war or strategy. 

But he doesn’t know how many books within the castle library have to do with war and how to win. And I’ve read all of them. Most of them, at least twice. 

“And that’s stupid,” Percy says, before frowning. He shakes his head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to speak ill of how things work around here.”

“It’s alright,” I tell him, smiling at him. “You’re right; it is a bit stupid. But that’s how it is. But with you being able to speak for me, I think we might be able to find a way around his dumb rule.”

For the next several minutes, we go over how we can communicate with each other during meetings. Wrinkling the nose for a negative view, scratching an eyebrow for a positive view. It seems a funny, really, for this to be how I can share my ideas. But Percy is more than game for the idea and it warms my heart. 

He is nothing like what I had expected. He has never said anything negative, aside from his earlier comment, and respects me. Percy has no trouble asking about something that I might know about, which is admittedly an unfamiliar but welcome feeling. 

I am glad that he is the man I have been destined to marry. 

I feel like I’m seeing a glimpse of him as a husband. He’s patient, as far as I’ve seen, which is important. He’s handsome, there’s no denying that. And he’s kind. The way that he has spoken about his friends and then seeing how he interacted with them…he has a good heart. 

“Annabeth?”

His voice fills my ears and I snap out of my thoughts. Percy is looking at me worriedly, his hand awkwardly between us as if he wants to comfort me, but unsure how to. “Are you alright? You were quiet for a bit.”

I smile tightly, trying to fight the blush off of my cheeks. “I’m fine, just thinking about something.”

“Okay,” Percy says, not questioning my vague answer. The small tilt of his lips clues me in that he might know what I had been thinking about. 

My blush deepens. 

“It’s past time for lunch,” I murmur, changing the subject. “Are you hungry?”

Percy nods, and we stand from our chairs. I pull at the door and slip past the tapestry, feeling him close behind me. Leading the way, I head in the direction of the kitchens. We would have a better chance getting food from Leo than from waiting in the dining hall. 

“What’s your favorite book?” Percy suddenly asks. 

I turn to him, thinking. “I’m not sure. I’ve read so many and love most of them…”

“Well you know about my favorite, the one with Percival,” he answers, giving me a crooked smile. “It only seems fair to know yours.”

I bite my lip, thinking about all the books I’ve read. I could approach it logically, thinking of which books I’ve read the most and which ones I always think about. Or emotionally, and think of the books that made me laugh at loud or cry. In the end, I went with my gut. 

“Cinderella,” I tell him. 

Percy blinks and nods his head once. “I wasn’t expecting that…but to be honest I’m not quite sure what I thought your answer would be. Why Cinderella?”

“She’s not afraid of hard work, she’s kind, and she never asked for the prince,” I explain. “She only asked for a night off. Everything else just happened to work out for her.”

“I’ve never thought of it that way,” he gives a small chuckle. 

“That’s why it’s my favorite,” I say. “Everyone sees it differently. I think it says a lot about the person reading it when they explain how they took it.” 

“So you never wanted a prince?” Percy asks after a moment. His expression is guarded, neutral. 

I don’t answer immediately. I don’t know what he wants my answer to be, and I’m scared that my answer has changed since meeting him. 

“I didn’t want to be defined by my prince,” I say carefully. “It was inevitable, of course, but I wanted to make sure that I knew who I was before I got married. I liked that Cinderella didn’t change after she got married. She was still kind and hardworking.”

“I never wanted to define you,” Percy says, grasping my hand in his. His actions make me stop in the middle of the hallway. It’s just us standing in the sunlight, our hands connected, and staring into each other’s eyes. “I never want to be what defines you. You are an amazing woman, Annabeth, all on your own.”

The intensity of his words are too much for me. I feel a small twinge in my eyes and blink furiously, fighting the tears. How did I get so lucky to end up being betrothed to the man who was everything I wanted?

“And while we’re on the topic, I will be whatever you need me to be,” Percy continues. I return my gaze to his, confused by his words. “A friend, a confidant, a lover. Whatever you want. I will never pressure you. I…I’ve known people who thought they were trapped in their engagements, and I would never want you to feel like that.”

_What do I want him to be?_

I open my mouth, ready to answer. I’m sure of it, I know what I want him to be. 

And then the entire castle shakes. I stumble, suddenly unsure of the integrity of the floor beneath us. Percy’s hands move from my own to my shoulders, steadying me. His eyes are wide and his mouth is agape with shock. 

“Aftershocks,” I whisper right as the castle shakes again, but noticeably less. 

The alarm blares, loud as it had been this morning, and I snap out of my shock. “We have to run, now!”

Percy grabs my hand in his and we run, back the way we had come. We hadn’t been walking for long, so the safe room is well within reach. We’re one hallway away from it when we hear the screams. 

Percy stops so suddenly that I run into him, almost making him lose his footing. For a split second, we are stopped in the middle of the hallway. My heart is beating in my throat and my hands are clammy. _What the hell is going on?_

“I thought we had another two weeks,” I mumble stupidly. 

“I guess we had a lot less,” Percy replies, leaning forward slowly to see around the corner of our hallway. Almost immediately, he whips back and pulls me towards me. I stare into his eyes and they’re almost wild with adrenaline. “Where is the nearest secret passageway or room?”

“What?” 

“ _They’re inside the castle, Annabeth!_ ” Percy hisses, moving me away from the corner. “And they’re outside the safe room. We need to hide, now. I don’t have my sword, I can’t fight.”

“The armory,” I breathe. 

“Is it closer than the nearest hiding spot?” Percy’s questions are almost mechanical. If I weren’t worried for my safety, I would probably appreciate how clinical his approach is. 

“About the same distance,” I answer honestly. “But in different directions.”

Percy clenches his jaw, thinking it through. “We’re both the heirs for our kingdoms. Should anything happen to our parents, we need to be safe. Let’s go.”

I nod mutely, and we run back towards the tapestry. At every corner, Percy slows and peeks around, making sure that we wouldn’t be running into an ambush. We didn’t run into anyone, friend or foe. I mumble a quick prayer that everyone I care about will be safe and survive this. 

We finally reach the hallway where the tapestry is located. We turn the corner, trying to run the last few steps, but we are stopped in our tracks. 

“Shit,” Percy says, taking in the two enemies in front of us. They’re big, taller than I by far, and muscular. 

“Suit of armor,” I say lowly, pointing Percy’s attention to the large metal display next to us. The armor is welding two longswords. 

“I got the one on the left,” he mutters back, tensing on the balls of his feet. 

A second later, we spring into action. Percy rips the longswords from the armor and passes me one. I’m not as familiar with this weapon as I am with others, but I have to make it work. The adrenaline coursing through my veins is helping. 

Percy sprints at the man on our left, staying true to his word. The man on the right is slightly smaller and more my speed. I charge towards him, lifting the sword as I do so. Chiron’s lessons fly through my mind, and I change my momentum at the last second, throwing the man off. 

He tries to overcorrect, which throws him off balance. While he takes a small step backwards, I throw my weight at him and swing the sword. He brings his weapon up just in time to block it, but I’m not finished. I twist my wrist, which forces him to mirror my actions. His hand twitches, unused to the new position I’ve forced it into. 

I push my weight forward, and he falls backwards. I knock the sword out of his hands with my foot and aim the point of my weapon at his throat. “Who sent you?”

“I ain’t tellin’ you shit!” The man retorts, sneering at me. 

A quick glance to the side and I can see that Percy has his assailant in a similar position. We’re both standing over them with our swords pointed at their necks. 

The man under Percy squirms slightly and he presses the tip of the sword more so into his neck. “Don’t be an idiot,” he warns him coldly. 

“Who sent you?” I ask my attacker again, lifting my chin in defiance. 

“I told ya, I ain’t sayin’ shit,” he answers. 

Well, I’m clearly not getting anything out of him. 

Percy turns to his man on the floor and asks, “Why did you attack here?”

“Blood demands blood,” the man answers cryptically. “You would do the same if you were me.”

“Then why did you do it?” Percy questions, twisting the sword to show that he means business. 

The man turns his head to stare at me. With a cold glance, he spits, “Ask her. Her father is the reason. We have suffered under his rule!”

“I am not my father,” I retort with as much ice. 

“But he would hurt as I did if I took his child from him, like he did to me,” he replies. He switches his gaze to Percy, still hovering over him with the sword. 

“And I’m not going to let that happen,” Percy states. 

“You stopped us this time, yes,” the man says almost conversationally. “But we’ll keep coming. And fighting. A few hundred live inside this castle, yes? Thousands of us live outside those walls. You can’t fight all of us.”

“What—” 

I’m cut off as he reaches into his pocket quickly. The man under me mirrors his actions and they both slip small white tablets into their mouths. 

“No!” Percy cries, lunging forward to try to stop him, but it’s too late. Both men are convulsing on the floor before lying still. 

I cover my mouth with my hand. I’ve never seen a death like this. Percy moves to my side and gently angles my body away from the men, blocking my view of them. He leads me down the hallway, away from them. It feels almost wrong to just leave them there, but they had tried to kill us. 

“We need to identify both of those men and find out who they had lost,” I murmur. “Then we might be able to figure out if there was a connected event or a pattern or something and see who else might have been affected.”

Percy nods mutely, continuing to walk us through the castle. It’s quiet, the alarm had quit blaring without our noticing. There’s no shouting, only silence. 

“I think they’ve been stopped,” Percy says quietly. 

I agree with him. 

“The safe room?” I gesture for us to keep moving. “That’s where people will go.”

Percy nods again, and we resume our walk. When we get there, it’s a grisly sight. Chiron is standing there with some of his guards, but a few are sitting on the ground nursing their wounds. 

Chiron looks up to see us, and he visibly relaxes. We come closer and he wraps a quick arm around me. “I’m glad you’re alright,” he whispers. “I was worried they had gotten you.”

“Percy and I handled two of them,” I mutter back. Despite my knowledge of weapons saving my life, I’m still not allowed to speak of it besides with Chiron and my mother. “They said some things…”

My father comes out of the safe room and I immediately shut my mouth. I go to him and hug him fiercely. Everything else aside, he’s still my father and I’m glad he’s okay. “Where’s mom?” I ask him.

“Inside,” he answers almost gruffly. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” I tell him, turning to Percy. “I was safe with him.”

“Good man,” my father says, nodding his head to my betrothed. “Chiron’s guards will make a sweep of the castle and make sure that the threat has been eradicated. The royal families will stay inside of the safe room until we’re sure everything is alright.”

Percy and I enter the safe room behind him and we hear the doors shut with an audible slam. I flinch. Inside, my mother is sitting at the head of the table. It looks like she hadn’t even moved. Which would make sense, if the men hadn’t been able to enter the large room. To my immense relief, Piper, Jason, and Grover are all safe inside as well. 

We all sit at the large table, surrounded by advisors and guards. They talk about the attack, but I remain silent. I don’t meet anybody’s eyes. A surge of anger goes through me. How dare they talk about the attack? They had been in this room for the whole thing! Percy and I were outside and had to fight for our lives. 

I give a quick prayer of thanks that Chiron has taught me everything that he has and my mother supported every part of it. I might not have been here without it. 

The man’s last words before he died keep running through my mind. _You can’t fight all of us._

Did that mean that there truly were thousands of people outside fo the castle who wished us harm? He could have just been saying that. But when he spoke of the child he had lost…I had known it was real pain. 

That decides it, then. 

To find out what was true, I need to know for myself.

I need to sneak out of the castle again and see what the citizens are feeling. And soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens! Let me know what you think and stay tuned!


	8. The Pink Panther Theme Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy POV. He realizes Annabeth’s plan and wants to help. Percy makes a new friend.

Percy’s heart has finally stopped racing almost twenty minutes into the second meeting of the day. Running for his life and then fighting for it, all while worrying about Annabeth, put quite the amount of stress on his cardiovascular systems. He had been impressed with Annabeth’s ability to wield the longsword, even if she didn’t think it was the best weapon ever. She had disarmed her opponent as quickly as he had. 

He looks up to across the table from him. Like it had been in the previous meeting, her head is bowed slightly. He hopes she isn’t too upset about the events that had transpired not too long ago. _Was that the first time she had seen death?_

One of the advisors is speaking, presumably about the attack the castle had just gone through. Percy doesn’t pay attention. He is focused on his betrothed. She is still and silent, but she doesn’t have any reactions to the ridiculous ideas being thrown about the room. Annabeth must be thinking hard about something. 

But what could be so important that she’s completely out of it? Percy debates saying something stupid on purpose, just to see if she would react to it. But that wouldn’t be beneficial for him or the royals within the safe room. 

She had been so confident until the man had started blaming her father for the attack. He had said the whole kingdom wanted to fight to overthrow them. Percy thinks back to when he had visited the pub with Jason and Grover. None of the citizens had said anything remotely betraying, but then again he hadn’t been listening for that. He had been focused on his debate with his friends until Annabeth had interrupted him.

_That’s it!_

Annabeth must be thinking about sneaking out to see what the citizens of the kingdom were saying! The attack on the castle must have spread around the nearby village by now and everyone would be talking about it. If she could sneak out tonight, she would get a good idea of what everyone was thinking. 

But she wouldn’t be so foolish as to sneak out of the castle, alone, on the same day her life was threatened?

Percy imagines that he was in Annabeth’s shoes.

He definitely would.

And that meant, so would she. 

Should he stop her? Approach her after the meeting and try to talk her out of it? Or accompany her, to make sure that she would be safe? He doesn’t mean to insinuate that she wouldn’t be able to take care of herself, she can obviously handle herself. He just knows he would feel better if he could keep an eye on her and see that she is truly okay. 

The next hour drones on slowly, filled with advisors bickering and the occasional input from either king. Percy can’t stop glancing at Annabeth every few moments as if making sure she is still in the room with him. 

Finally, eons later, the meeting is adjourned. Just like the last one, there had been no final or concrete decisions. Percy moves to be by his father’s side. He had seen how Annabeth had hugged her father after the attack and Percy hadn’t had the chance to see his own yet. 

Gruffly, Poseidon wraps one arm around his son and squeezes. “I’m glad you’re okay. Do you want to talk about it?”

Percy shakes his head. “I want to, but later.”

His father nods acceptingly. “Whenever you want to discuss it, I’ll be here for you.”

Percy smiles his thanks. Looking over his shoulder, he sees that Annabeth has disappeared from view. Frowning, he looks around again to make sure. He sees Jason and her best friend, Piper, talking outside of the meeting room. He makes his way to them. 

“—I wouldn’t say that,” Jason is laughing at something Piper had said. 

“Hi Jason, Piper,” Percy says as he approaches them. Both of them smile at him. “Piper, I have a question for you.”

The redhead furrows her brows in confusion. She gives a hesitant smile and nods, waving goodbye to Jason as he walks away. “How can I help you?”

“You’re Annabeth’s best friend,” he says. Piper nods again. “I’m worried about something.”

“Oh, gosh, what?” Piper’s eyes suddenly fill with concern. “What’s wrong?”

Percy explains as much as he can without getting into the gruesome details. Her expressions change as he talks, from admiration when he talks of how Annabeth handles herself to her frowning at the dead man’s words. When he finishes, he says, “I want to make sure that if she tries to sneak out tonight and try to see what the villagers are saying, I can be there with her to make sure she’ll be okay.”

“So you want to know how she does it?” Piper asks, summing up what he had said in much fewer words. She places her hand on her hip, sliding into a defensive position. “I’m not going to give away her secrets.”

Percy frowns. “I understand that and I respect that. I admire it, too. I just wanted to see if I could accompany her to make sure she wouldn’t be by herself.”

Her expression changes, mulling over her thoughts. “Talk to Chiron. If he wants to help you, he will. That’s all I will say.”

Percy smiles gratefully. “Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!”

He hunts down Chiron, who ends up being the head of the guards. He also had been the man Annabeth had spoken with before they had gone into the safe room after the attack. Piper had been telling the truth. The head of the guards would know how to sneak a princess out of a castle. 

When Percy finally locates the man, he is standing at one of the grand windows facing the outside of the castle. 

“Your Highness,” Chiron says, inclining his head. 

“Chiron,” Percy answers, inclining his head in respect as well. “I have a question for you.”

“Yes?” He turns to the prince and Percy is surprised by how kind his eyes are. He had assumed a man of his position would be hardened by everything he would have to go through. 

Percy explains everything and shares his concerns with Annabeth sneaking out. Chiron’s expression doesn’t change at all, except a small crinkle near his eyes. When he’s done, the head of the guard remains silent for a long moment. 

“I fear that you’re correct,” he says finally. 

Chiron tells him about how the schedules of the guards overlap, resulting in a moment where one could sneak out of the castle if they so desired. Annabeth has been taking advantage of this for years and there’s a good chance she would do it tonight as well. 

“Around ten, that’s when she tends to make her move,” Chiron tells him, frowning. “You know where her room is located, yes? You will need to be out of sight, but near enough that you can follow her out of the castle.” 

Percy nods along, beyond grateful that Chiron had divulged the information he so desperately needs. He tells him so, and sets off so that he could grab some dinner before sneaking out of the castle. 

He has to stop himself from sprinting to the kitchen in his haste. When he gets there, he sees the same boy from the morning. Was it really this morning that he was laughing with his friends? It already seems so far away. 

What had Annabeth called the boy? Leo?

“What do you want?” he asks, catching sight of Percy in the doorway to the kitchens. “Dinner started fifteen minutes ago. If you want food, go to the main hall.”

“Oh, I just wanted some toast...could you spare a slice, please?” Percy asks kindly, tilting his head to the side. 

The boy, who Percy is sure is named Leo, regards him for a moment. He tries not to squirm. 

“Oh, alright,” Leo says, smiling. “Come on in, we can spare a bit more than a slice of bread.” 

While the bread is being toasted, Percy and Leo talk quietly. They both have a similar view of the world and try to see the beets in everything that happens. By the time the toast is ready, the bread becomes cold because the pair are chatting for too long. The laugh once they realize, and start the process all over again. 

After bidding Leo a goodnight, Percy starts going back to his room. It’s in a different wing than the royals who live in the castle. He only knows this because of when he had escorted Annabeth back to her room. 

Glancing at the clock, he watches it tick slowly. Percy debates pacing the room until it’s time, but he quickly decides against it because that sounds terrible. It’s barely eight. He had another two hours before he could execute his plan. 

Time passes slowly for the prince. He rifles through the books that he had brought with him for the journey. His mother’s favorite book, _A Collection of Fairy Tales_ , is at the bottom of his trunk. He takes the volume with him everywhere that he goes. He leafs through it, hesitating when the worn spine stops at _Cinderella_.

He thinks back to what Annabeth had said when asked of her favorite book. 

_”She’s not afraid of hard work, she’s kind, and she never asked for the prince...she only asked for a night off. Everything else just happened to work out for her. That’s why it’s my favorite...everyone sees it differently. I think it says a lot about the person reading it when they explain how they took it.”_

And how she had viewed the story said a lot about Annabeth, Percy thinks. She’s smart and kind, but doesn’t ask anyone for anything. Hell, he had been the one who offered to help her be able to contribute to meetings about the attacks. She wouldn’t have asked him, she would have just suffered in silence. 

And Percy doesn’t want to see such an amazing woman as Annabeth go through that. That’s why he’s going to help her tonight. Another look at the clock tells him only ten minutes have passed. 

Knowing it will be the only thing that distracts him, he delves into the fairy tale in front of him. By the time he’s finished, he is thinking of his mother and how Annabeth is as strong as she had been. 

The clock chimes loudly. It’s time. Percy takes a deep breath and leaves the room, walking through the silent castle halls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Percy is always so interesting to write. 
> 
> Reviews are my lifeblood!


	9. How to Run From the Mess You Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth POV. Sneaking out of the castle seems to come with unknown challenges.

As I get outside of the castle walls, I take a deep breath like I always do. But this time, it’s different. I don’t feel as relaxed as I usually do. I’m stressed and anxious about what I’m going to hear. 

I can’t get the words out of my head. Were there really hundreds of villagers outside the castle waiting to overthrow us? I had never heard anything like this when I had been outside before. Maybe I wasn’t in the right place? 

I know of one other pub that would be populated at this time of night. It’s a bit farther than my usual one, but I’m prepared for the walk. Before leaving the castle, I had donned a simple brown dress, flat boots, and a cloak for warmth. I have my hood up, hiding my hair and face as best I can. 

A small tingling on the back of my neck alerts me. I turn quickly, trying to see what’s behind me. But there’s nothing. It’s dark, so the only light outside of the village comes from the moon. After the attack just a few hours ago, I’m definitely feeling paranoid. I have a small knife tucked into the sash of my dress. I pray that I won’t have to use it, but I want to be ready for anything.

When I enter the village, I keep my head down as much as possible. I stay aware of everything going on around me, keeping vigilant, but making myself as small as physically possible. I don’t want anyone to see me or even notice someone going by them. I only have one mission tonight, and I want to accomplish it. 

I need to know what the people of my kingdom think. 

Passing the bar I usually frequent, I glance inside. I see some of the regular patrons drinking and laughing, and for a moment I consider going in. It would be nice to sit amongst them and hear their cheerful chatter. But I know I won’t find what I’m looking for here. 

I continue on my way, adjusting my cloak and pulling it tighter to my body. It’s getting colder and colder as I venture further into the village. I’ve never been this far from the castle before. I wish I wasn’t by myself and had someone with me. My peace of mind would definitely improve. 

Idly, I wonder what Percy is doing at the moment. 

And then I shake my head. I need to be focused on my surroundings, not him. I walk faster, wanting to reach my destination quicker. The minutes pass and I reach the pub. Looking up, I see the name of the establishment carved above the doorway: _The Winged Shoes_.

What an odd name. 

I enter and keep my head low, avoiding the gaze of any of the patrons. My entrance is unnoticed, thankfully. The din of conversation doesn’t lull as I find an empty stool near the bar. There are two men seated a stool away from me, their heads close together in conversation. On my other side, there’s a thin woman staring into her drink. 

The bartender sidles up across from me. He’s blond and has a scar stretching across one side of his face, but it doesn’t stop him from smiling at me. 

“Hello, what will it be?” he asks, raising his brows incrementally at my cloak. 

“Mead will be fine, thanks,” I say. A second later, a mug is placed in front of me. 

“If you need anything else, let me know,” the man says, walking towards a different customer at the end of the bar with dark hair. 

Familiar dark hair. 

_There’s no way..._

Percy sees me staring at me and smiles sheepishly. I frown at him. He followed me from the castle!

The prince stands from his seat and moves to the stool next to me. His mug is identical to mine, down to the drink. 

“Hi,” he says, giving me a half-smile. 

“Why did you follow me?” I ask him point-blank.

“Because I wanted to make sure you would be okay,” he answers. “A lot has happened today and I would hate for something to happen to you.”

“Hm,” I mutter, not sure what to make of his statement. 

“Anna—Anne, I know you can handle yourself. You proved that today, I just wanted to be here so that I know you’re okay,” he says all in one breath. 

I raise my eyebrows. What was he playing at? 

“Luke, what do you make of the attack?” 

The man on Percy’s other side is leaning over the bar, looking to the man who had served me the mead. The blond man looks up from the mug he was cleaning and shakes his head. 

“It’s tragic,” he mutters. 

I watch intently as he moves closer to the man and, in doing so, closer to Percy and I. He lowers his voice so that I have to strain to hear what he’s saying. 

“I heard Pierre died,” he murmurs. “I’m sorry for your loss. If you want to talk about the mission he was serving, just say the word.”

The bartender moves away, off to serve another patron. I look to Percy, furrowing my brows. His look of astonishment shows that he’s just as surprised as I am. The man next to Percy shifts his weight and stands. 

“Luke,” he calls, “I want to further discuss that.” 

I turn my head incrementally so that I can see Luke’s response. He nods once and points further along the bar, where there’s a small corridor. The man grunts and makes his way to where the bartender had pointed. 

Once he’s out of earshot, Percy whispers to me, “Why would he know about what he was doing?”

“I think the better question would be _how_ he knows what he was doing,” I whisper back. “How are we going to hear what they’re saying?”

“Wait until he goes back there,” Percy says, looking slightly over his shoulder towards Luke. “And then we’ll get as close as we can.”

I nod silently, agreeing to his plan. The bartender fills up another drink and then moves to the corridor where the first man had disappeared. Percy and I wait a moment, making sure that neither of them would come back, and then stand. We get to the end of the bar, but we can’t see the two men. 

I look up to Percy and shake my head, asking him silently what he wants to do. He leans his head forward, and we shift even closer to the corridor. There is a pile of boxes at the front, obscuring the men from view. But we can hear their voices!

I duck behind the boxes and pull Percy down with me. There isn’t much space for both of us, so we squeeze together. I feel him beside me, his arm next to mine and the muscles under his clothes. I’m momentarily distracted and miss the first words from the men down the hall.

“—he knew what he was signing up for,” the first man, from the bar, is saying. “I don’t know why he did it, but it’s still a loss.”

“I told him to stick to the south side of the castle,” Luke replies. 

I feel my eyebrows raise as I realize what he had said. Luke had told him where to go? Did he organize the attack? I lean closer to Percy, trying to hear better. I try not to notice his cologne and how close we are now.

“Ron told me he was found on the east side,” Luke continues, unaware of my inner struggle to focus. “Apparently, he had been face to face with the princess.”

I gasp, realizing Pierre was one of the men Percy and I had had to fight. Percy reaches over and puts a hand over my mouth, trying to silence me. But the damage has already been done. 

“What was that?”

The unmistakable sound of footsteps drawing nearer to our hiding spot fill the air. My heart is racing, my chest is heaving. We’re going to be caught, Luke is going to know who we are—

Percy’s hand moves from my mouth to my cheek and his other hand cups my face. He pulls me to face him and whispers, “Trust me.”

Before I can question what he means and how we can escape before they find us, which is going to be any second—

And all thoughts are chased from my mind as Percy kisses me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Their first kiss! And the plot is finally revealed. I’m not sure how long I want this series to be, but there will definitely be a lot more. I’m loving this series and want to write more already. Stay tuned!
> 
> Reviews are my lifeblood! Comments make me smile and write faster, usually!


	10. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy POV. He kissed her. Did they get caught?

Ever since he had laid eyes on her, Percy has found Annabeth attractive. At the pub, when she had argued with him, he had admired her wit and boldness. As he got to know her as his betrothed, he had realized how smart she is and how much she cares for her friends and the people of her kingdom. 

Before the attack, when he had told her that he was willing to be whatever she wanted, he had meant it. A friend, a confidant, a lover. He, of course, knew what he wanted to be, from the day he had met her. But Percy would never do anything that would make her uncomfortable. And she had been about to answer, until they had been interrupted. 

He had hoped she would want the same as him. The night after they had met, he had dreamt of kissing her. And he met her, at the dinner with her parents and his father, and he had told her she was beautiful. He had thought of kissing her several times since then. 

But he had never imagined this would be their first kiss. In the shady corridor of a pub, trying to hide from the man who may or may not be responsible for the attack on the castle just a few hours ago. 

But here he is. Kissing his fiancée, but without any romantic ambiance. 

“What the hell are you doing back here?” 

Percy breaks apart from Annabeth, the both of them panting. How on Earth did Percy forget why he had kissed her in the first place? 

He remembers himself and pushes himself further against her. He can’t let Luke see Annabeth’s face, what if he were to recognize her? Annabeth makes a small noise but he can’t lose focus. Percy looks up to the blond man they had followed back into the hallway.

“Sorry about that,” he says in a light voice, hiding how tense he truly is. “Couldn’t help ourselves.”

Luke narrows his eyes in annoyance. “Just get out of here.”

Percy stands, keeping Annabeth behind him, and nods. “No problem.”

Annabeth, still mute, gives him a look. Percy slings his arm over her shoulder and leads her away from Luke and to the front of the pub. 

“Keep your head down,” he whispers to her, walking at a normal pace. They’re just a few feet from the door when they hear a loud gasp and a crash. 

Acting on pure instinct, Percy whirls around to the source of the noise. At the same time, he moves so that he’s completely in front of Annabeth, surveying the scene to see what the threat was. 

But it was a false alarm, a drunken patron had simply spilled their drink and had been surprised. In the corner of the room, Luke is staring at the pair with the same narrowed eyes. But it’s not annoyance. 

Percy, not seeing Luke’s expression, turns around quickly and practically pushes Annabeth out of the pub in his haste. Once they’re outside, Percy pulls up the hood of his cloak and gestures for Annabeth to do the same. 

“We need to move,” he tells her, leading the way back to the castle. 

“No, we have to take a detour,” she argues, grasping his arm to stop him. “We can’t go in a straight line.”

Percy nods, seeing the logic of her words. “Lead the way.”

Annabeth sets off in the opposite direction, rivaling Percy’s pace from before. For a few minutes, they travel in silence. Once they’re a quarter of a mile from the pub, she speaks.

“We need to talk about what happened back there,” she says. 

Percy’s heart stops for a moment. “Annabeth, I am so sorry, I—” 

“No, don’t be,” she cuts him off, “that was a smart move. I’m talking about what we had overheard.”

_A smart move._

While Percy is happy that Annabeth doesn’t hate him for kissing her, he is a bit disappointed. No _we should do it again_ , but it was a smart move. But there are more important things. 

“Do you think he planned the entire thing?” Percy asks, referring to Luke.

“That would make sense, but how had he known that they had been found on the east side? And that they had talked to us?” Annabeth counters, sidetracking down a street adjacent to the one they had been traveling down. 

Percy follows her while he thinks about his answer. “You don’t think...”

“There has to be someone on the inside,” Annabeth says quietly, her expression downcast. “That’s the only explanation for how they knew about that and how they had gotten into the castle in the first place.” 

“I’m sorry,” Percy murmurs, because he isn’t sure what else he can say. 

“It doesn’t matter how I feel.” Her voice is hard, detached. “We need to get back to the castle to warn everyone; they’re in danger.”

With that, Annabeth lowers her hood around her face even more and sets off at an even brisker pace that she had maintained before. Percy keeps up with her, thinking of how easily she had removed her personal view from the situation. Would he have taken in that information as calmly? 

Percy takes a small moment to appreciate how Annabeth’s first instinct was to protect her people and family. 

The realization that he’s going to lead alongside her in the future hits him. A warm ball of affection settles in his stomach and he almost missteps as they change roads again. Annabeth looks back, silently asking him if he’s okay. Percy manages a nod and continues with her, racing back to the castle. 

“We’re going to have to tell them how we found out,” Percy mutters a minute later. “Your father...”

Annabeth takes a deep breath and exhales a moment later. “You’re right.”

“I can tell them that I went out—”

Annabeth interrupts him again, but this time with a smile. “No, we’re not going to lie. We’re in this together. We tell them what we both saw.”

“And we still have to find out who those men were,” he says, seeing the castle looming closer and closer with every step they take. “You said to see if we can find a pattern or if there was a connection of some sort. We can add the pub and Luke to the list of variables.”

“There will be records in the library. We need to do some research,” Annabeth nods along. “We’re five minutes out.”

It’s Percy’s time to nod. “Also...I want to apologize for the kiss.”

Annabeth stops walking and faces him fully. “I told you, it was a smart move. I don’t think we would have gotten out of there any other way.” 

“Yes,” Percy says, gathering his courage. “But that’s not why I’m sorry.”

Annabeth’s brow furrows and she takes a step closer. Her voice is quiet, unsure. “Why, then?”

He stares her right in the eye. “Because that’s not how I wanted our first kiss to go.”

She visibly relaxes and smiles at him. “Oh?”

“No, I wanted it to be special. I wanted you to know how I care for you,” he says, seeing her smile grow wider with every word. 

“Percy,” she says, and his heart flutters with how warmly she says it. “You showed me tonight how much you care. You literally risked your life to come after me! Your quick thinking got us out of trouble. I probably wouldn’t be able to be standing here if you hadn’t come after me. And you said yourself, you care about me. 

“ _That_ is special to me. Actions will always speak louder than words. I...I care about you, too,” Annabeth smiles. “A lot, actually.”

Percy grins, matching her smile. She takes a step even closer, and Percy gets the hint. Then they’re kissing properly, with their arms around each other and not about to be interrupted by a potential criminal. This kiss is so much better than the first one, in basically every single way. Percy doesn’t want it to end and judging by how enthusiastically Annabeth is kissing him back, she doesn’t want it to end either. 

“That’s our first kiss, then,” Percy says when he finally pulls away minutes later. 

Annabeth’s cheeks are dusted pink and she’s grinning. “That’s alright with me.”

He looks off into the distance and sees how close the castle is. “We should go.”

“You’re right,” she murmurs. “I think we should wait until tomorrow. Our families have been through enough for one day. And I don’t think whoever the mole is will try anything tonight.” 

Percy kisses her one last time, a fleeting peck. “After you, Princess.”

She gives a small laugh. “Whatever you say, my Prince.”

They walk back to the castle, walking so closely together that their hands brush now and then. Both of them are grateful to have the other with them. The situation is grim, with concerns looming over them. There had been an attack just hours earlier, threats made against the castle, and the information of a mole within the castle walls. And it was just the beginning.

But just like Annabeth had said, they were in it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! I literally had a dream that someone was yelling at me for not updating it sooner. Apparently my subconscious had bigger plans for this series! I regret nothing. 
> 
> Comments make me smile and write faster!


	11. Echoes in the Tomb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth POV. The King reacts to the news. Surprisingly, he handles it poorly. Annabeth comes to a decision.

“Do you mean to tell me that my ONLY DAUGHTER recklessly endangered her life for thirty seconds of PUB GOSSIP!?”

It’s high noon and my father is screaming himself hoarse in the Great Hall. The Great Hall is reserved for military meetings, advisors talking, and apparently screaming at your children. Located just off the hall where our dining room lies, it’s quite central in the castle. Just after breakfast, I had told him of the events that had transpired last night. Well, most of them. 

As soon as I had told him, my father had asked for every royal, advisor, and high ranking member of the guard meet in the Great Hall. It is the largest room in the castle next to the ball room. It had taken almost an hour to collect everyone into the big room. While it had filled, my father’s face had gotten more and more red. 

The Great Hall is a work of architectural art, with beautiful windows filling the room with light. The seats of the Hall are stacked, with a balcony overlooking it all with the thrones for the royals. There are hundreds of seats, circling the room. 

When everyone was in attendance, my father had called for me to take the podium in the center of the room. It’s a simple platform, raised so that the speaker there will be able to address all of those in attendance. There, I had recounted everything that Percy and I had heard. And now, my father is getting his frustration out.

“What in the name of the gods were you thinking!?”

“I wanted to—” I try to explain, but I am cut off. 

“It does not matter what you want!” My father roars, gripping the edge of his throne until his knuckles turn white. “There are people that we can send to do those sort of things, men who live to protect us! What if you had been hurt?”

I open my mouth, close to telling him how exactly adept I am at protecting myself, before realizing my tutelage under Chiron is a secret. And seeing how he has reacted to my telling him the truth of last night, it seems wise to keel quiet. 

“I think what she did was extremely brave.”

The calm voice sweeps over the Great Hall, silencing the murmurs of the advisors and guards throughout. I look from my father to the other king in the Hall, Poseidon. 

The king stands from his throne—not as decorated as my father’s, of course, but an ornate throne nonetheless—and surveys the room in front of him. After a moment, he focuses his gaze unto me, standing alone on the podium. 

“What you did was nothing short of brave, my dear,” he says, seemingly blind and deaf to my father’s sputters and outraged expression. 

“It was stupid!” My father spits, looking down on me. 

“But she retrieved information that will help us in the coming weeks,” Poseidon counters calmly. “Wouldn’t you rather be informed of the dangers that lie ahead than have our heads stuck in the metaphorical sand?”

The king is silent. The advisors, however, are not. They are muttering and twittering amongst themselves, watching the two kings disagree. I hear the two closest to me whispering not so quietly.

“—how could he say that—”

“—in my day, no one would dare interrupt the king—”

“—they’re both kings, are you daft?”

My father stands from his throne and the whispers are hushed immediately. I’m glad for it, I don’t want to hear those words. 

“I am displeased with you, Annabeth, make no mistake,” my father says, his voice almost echoing through the Great Hall. “But I am glad for the information you have brought.”

My eyes widen in disbelief. My father, agreeing with Poseidon? In front of everyone? After blatantly displaying an opinion of the exact opposite belief just moments before? 

“I thank you for doing this,” my father continues, ignoring my confusion. “You are excused from the Great Hall.”

“What?” I blurt before I can stop myself. “I—”

“Thank you, Annabeth, that will be all,” he says with such finality that I know there is no way that I could have my way. 

With blood rushing into my cheeks, I set my jaw and nod. With quick steps, I dismount from the podium and pass before the balcony where the royals are seated. I glance up and meet eyes with Percy. 

His green eyes are sad and his mouth is pulled into a frown. He gives a small shake of his head and I look away, sweeping out of the Great Hall. In the silence, my heels echo throughout the room. I wish I could chuck one of them at my father. 

The second I pass through the doors, the guards close it behind me. It slams and I almost jump from the shock. The scare is the only thing my tears need for them to start streaming down my face. And now, away from the judgmental eyes of others, I don’t mind. 

Piper is there, waiting outside. She moves to my side and wraps an arm around me. She murmurs kind words to me, leading me away from the center of the castle. I let her, trying not to think of how my father had berated me in front of the most powerful men in the kingdom. And how Percy had remained silent for the entirety of my appearance on the podium. 

What had happened to, _‘I’ll be whatever you need me to be’_? In that moment, I had needed him to do something other than just sit there. 

Piper takes me into the gardens, as far from the Great Room as you can get without leaving the castle walls. And after my father’s explosion, that’s the last thing I want to do. As we settle in the sunshine, I blink back tears and remember why Cinderella had been my favorite fairytale. She had been independent and asked for help when she needed it. She hadn’t asked for the prince. 

And there lays the problem.

I felt like I had needed Percy to help defend me to my father. I don’t need Percy. I like having him around, of course, but I don’t _need_ him. And in my lapse of judgement, I had forgotten this crucial fact. 

And I have to make sure that won’t happen again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more plot development in this chapter! Annabeth is an independent woman, how does she feel about her betrothed now? 
> 
> Reviews are my lifeblood, I write faster when I’m smiling :)


	12. Flowers Bloom, But None are as Beautiful as You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy POV. Will he convince Annabeth?

After Annabeth leaves the Great Room, the advisors are muttering to themselves again. Percy looks down at the floor, angry that he could not have done something to keep the king from throwing his betrothed from the room. Annabeth risked her life for the intelligence she had gathered and this is how she was thanked? Being publicly humiliated in front of some of the greatest minds of the kingdom?

Annabeth’s father drones on, but Percy tunes him out. The king has just banished one of the smartest people in the entire Great Room, just because she was a princess, not a male advisor. But Percy is glad that his father said something in her favor. Annabeth had risked a lot for the sake of her kingdom but her father doesn’t seem to care. 

Last night, after Percy and Annabeth had returned, Poseidon had pulled Percy aside before he could enter his room. His father had been clear in his expectations. 

_“I know you care for the girl. But this is a fragile situation. I see how the king treats her, and I don’t want you to say anything in front of him. Even if you are right—and I am sure you will be—say nothing. He is a man who listens to people he sees as equals. Given your age and title, I’m sad to say that you are not an opinion he will value.”_

Percy’s father is an excellent leader and king. He is fair, but wise beyond his years. And that is why Percy listened to him instead of speaking up for Annabeth. But his father had said something, which the king had respected, even if he didn’t want to. And for that, Percy is glad. 

The minutes pass slowly, and Percy debates closing his eyes. But he might fall asleep, given the lack of slumber he had gotten the night before. And falling asleep in front of the king while he’s commanding a room would not do much for his favor. 

Finally, finally, the meeting is adjourned and the scholars and advisors stand from their seats. He stands as well, ignoring the ache in his hips for sitting for so long. A quick glance at his father confirms the fact he can be excused from the room and try to find Annabeth. He needs to explain why he had remained silent. 

She’s not in the hall immediately outside of the room, but then again Percy didn’t expect her to be. He walks at a fast clip, looking down every hall he passes on the off chance that she is there. Just his luck; she’s nowhere to be found. 

As he passes by the hall where they eat their dinner, Jason approaches him. He, also, looks like he’s looking for something. 

“Have you seen Piper?” Jason asks as soon as he’s within earshot of Percy. 

Percy shakes his head and frowns. “I take it you haven’t seen Annabeth, either?”

His friend frowns and Percy sighs. They would probably be together. 

“What about the gardens?” Jason says suddenly, looking to his friend. “Piper mentioned how they go there around this time of year.”

“Worth a shot,” the prince nods. “Let’s go.”

Five minutes later, they’re across the castle and just shy of the gardens. They have to pass through an arch trellis of roses before they can enter. It’s tall and breathtaking, making Percy look at it longer than he normally would have. As he gets closer, he sees the size of the thorns. They, like the roses, are much larger than he would have thought possible. 

For a second, he thinks of his betrothed. Beautiful, but more dangerous than it appears. 

And past the trellis, sitting by a marble fountain, is Annabeth and Piper. Jason and Percy approach them, stopping a respectful distance away. Both of the girls look up at them mutely. 

“Piper, may I have a word with you?” Jason asks, breaking the silence first. 

Piper seems to think about what he had said before turning to her best friend. Annabeth nods and smiles, encouraging her to go. Piper stands, and takes Jason’s offered arm. Within seconds, they’re out of sight. 

“May I sit next to you?” Percy asks, gesturing to the now vacant space next to Annabeth. 

“I’m not stopping you,” the princess responds flatly. 

Percy frowns. He was hoping that she wouldn’t be upset with the past events, but that would be like hoping for rain in the middle of a drought. 

“I’m sorry,” he says, lowering himself to her side. 

“What for?” 

“You know,” Percy murmurs, turning to look at her profile. 

“No, I don’t,” she says waspishly. “Enlighten me.”

“I’m sorry that I didn’t say anything when your father was speaking,” Percy says definitively. “I should have, but my father had asked me not to.”

“Oh, of course,” Annabeth says in her normal tone. Percy’s hopes raise incrementally. “You have to do anything that your father asks! Imagine what would have happened if I listened to my father.”

“Annabeth, I need you to listen to me,” Percy says, gently grabbing her shoulders and making her face him fully. She resists for a moment, but eventually lets him move her. “My father is trying to keep everything civil between our two kingdoms. I can’t publicly disrespect the king and expect for there to be no consequences. 

“I care about you. I wanted to stand up for you. But that is not going to help anything. My father said what I couldn’t. I would stand up for you in every meeting if I could. Please know that,” Percy says, reaching out a tucking a stray hair away from her face. 

Annabeth’s lip trembles for a moment before she can stop it. “I understand that. And I appreciate your honesty and explanation.”

Percy smiles gently but waits, sensing that there is more that she wants to say. 

“I’m more upset at myself,” she says, causing Percy’s brow to furrow. Before he can wonder what she means, she continues. “I felt like I _needed_ you to stand up for me. And that’s what I wanted to avoid. I don’t want to be dependent on you for anything.”

He doesn’t say anything for a minute. That stings, he’ll admit. But she had told him, a long time ago, that she didn’t want to be engaged for that reason. 

“I’ll be whatever you need me to be,” he says, echoing what he had said all those nights ago. “And if you need me to give you space and back away, I will.”

He pushes himself off the bench, turning his back on her. _It’s what she wants_ , he keeps repeating to himself. 

Before he can get very far, Annabeth is standing and chasing after him, catching his arm. “But I want you to be there.”

“Annabeth,” Percy says, frowning, “you have to make up that big mind of yours. I can’t be there for you if you don’t want to be there for me. You can’t have it both ways.”

“I don’t want it both ways,” she answers breathlessly. “I want you, but I don’t want to lose who I am.”

“Who says you will?” Percy asks, raising his eyebrows. “I care for you so much but I’m still me. Wanting someone doesn’t eradicate that person.”

Wordlessly, she looks into his eyes. Grey boring into green, they are silent for a long moment. Percy cups her face in his hands and she fists his shirt in her hands. The air is tense as they stare at each other, communicating without words. 

And, moving as one, their lips crash together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just finished up my finals week, that’s why there has been such a delay! Thank you so much for being patient. 
> 
> Leave a comment; they make me write faster!
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


	13. The Garden and the Snakes that Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth POV. More information is revealed.

Some time later, Percy and I take a stroll around the gardens. I point out my favorite flowers and he surprises me with his knowledge of different plants, especially the ones with healing properties. Upon questioning, he admits it’s because Grover tells him about them and he learned what they looked like out of curiosity for his friend. 

Percy truly is unlike anything I ever expected.

Before long, we reach the end of the garden. Muffled voices reach our ears and we turn the bend around a hedge to investigate. It’s Piper and Jason, who are standing an interesting distance apart from each other. 

Piper is blushing and one of her braids is messy. Jason is refusing to make eye contact with Percy or I. I open my mouth to say something, but Piper interrupts me. 

“Your hair is messy, too!” 

It’s my turn to blush and I duck my head, internally damning Percy for how much his hands move when he kisses me. Percy laughs, loudly and so suddenly it startles me. I look to him, raising my brows.

“You caught us,” he says gleefully, reaching out and snaking his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him. “But we’re betrothed, what about you?” 

“Well, Seaweed Brain, I just asked Piper if I could court her,” Jason replies smugly. “And she said yes!”

“Seaweed Brain?” I murmur so that only Percy can hear me. 

He shushes me, grinning. 

I file that nickname away for later usage and disengage myself from his side, going to hug my dearest friend. 

Piper reaches for me and we hug, tightly grasping each other. She squeals in happiness and I hug her tighter.

“Pipes, I’m so happy for you,” I tell her, meaning every syllable. 

Behind me, I hear Percy and Jason muttering quietly. I focus on my friend and how much she is grinning. She is such a great friend, always making sure that I am happy and doing what she can to cheer me up when I need it. For years, she has been there for me and I have been there for her. I can see how happy she is about the courtship. She deserves as much happiness as she can get. 

“I can’t believe we both found the guys we wanted,” Piper whispers to me, glancing over my shoulder at the men. “Oh, Annabeth, I’m so happy!”

We hug again, giggling. Percy and Jason walk back to us, and we walk to the kitchens, looking to pay Leo a visit and grab a bite to eat. As we make our way into the castle, the memory of the morning leaves my mind and stays far from my focus. I am with my favorite people in the world. It’s a good feeling. 

Leo welcomes us warmly and makes a quick lunch. The speed of the meal does not take away from the taste, and we all compliment him heavily on his creation. Leo, of course, rolls his eyes confidently and told us off for expecting anything less than perfection. 

After lunch, Percy leans close to my ear and whispers, “We should go to the library. I have an idea you might like.”

His proximity to me distracts me for a moment and it’s a second before I nod. We excuse ourselves from Jason and Piper. They don’t mind and we leave the happy couple behind us. As we make our way through the castle, Percy explains what he’s been thinking. 

“There is a registry of everyone who lives within the kingdom, right? Or maybe jus the surrounding city of the castle?” 

I nod slowly, trying to think of where that registry would be stored. A light bulb goes off in my mind and I can see the bookshelf where that tome resides. “Yes, it’s on the second floor of the library in the corner. We didn’t want to keep it somewhere where just anyone could get their hands on it.”

“Perfect,” he says before continuing. “We know the name of one of the men who attacked us in that hallway. He had lost his child, because he had threatened to take you from your father. If we find out how his child had died, we can try to figure out why he wanted to hurt the crown.”

Percy is a genius. We walk quickly, almost jogging, until we reach the entry to the library. Once we’re in, I lead him to the second floor. There are several bookshelves here, with hundreds of books spread out amongst them. I shift through a few of them before determining that we were in the wrong section of the library. 

“The book is brown with a gold trim and has an iron spine. We should split up; we might find it faster that way,” I tell him and he nods. We separate and search through the second floor of the library. 

An hour later, we have searched through the entire second floor. There are four floors in total. I sigh at the thought of having to go through every single bookshelf of the entire royal library. I know this place like the back of my hand, but I have never needed a book this badly. 

Percy approaches me a few minutes later, holding three books in his hand. All three of them are brown with a gold trim, but they don’t have an iron spine. To make sure that they aren’t indeed the books we are looking for, I flip through them. But they’re books about the history of our kingdom; not the people who reside within it. 

“I have an idea,” I say as I put the books on the nearest table. “There’s a woman who takes care of the library, she might be able to help us locate it.”

“That’s great,” Percy says, excited at the prospect of the book being closer to being found. “What’s her name? How do we find her?” 

“Her name is Calypso. And I know just how to find her.”

Ten minutes later, we are standing in front of Leo again. 

“And why are you looking for _mi amour_?” Leo asks, a bit suspicious. 

“We’re looking for a book in the library,” I explain to him. “I haven’t been able to find it and she might know where it is.”

“Why is it so important?” 

“Leo, I wouldn’t be asking unless it’s important. It has to do with the recent attacks. I want to make sure that everyone in the castle will be safe in the future,” I plead with him. “Please tell me where I can find Calypso.”

“She might be helping in the ballroom,” Leo says after a long moment. “If I find out that this might get her in trouble with your father, I won’t make you lunches anymore.”

“I completely understand and I promise no harm will come to her for helping us. Thank you, Leo.”

The ballroom is on the other side of the castle. We walk over there and Percy is curious about the state of the ballroom. 

“As far as I know, nothing happened to it during the attacks. It was only the front of the castle that sustained any damage. And my father is still planning on having the welcoming ball for you and Poseidon,” I explain quickly. “It’ll probably be ready within the week.”

“I can’t believe that we’re going to have a ball while we’re in the middle of figuring out why the castle is under attack,” Percy mutters. 

I sympathize with him as we reach the ballroom. It’s full of people cleaning and mopping and preparing it for the big night. Aside from the Great Hall, it is the biggest room in the castle. I look through the crowd of people working until I see Calypso’s hair standing out. I keep my head down as we approach her. 

She is dusting one of the banisters and slows her hand as we come to a stop next to her.

“My princess,” she says, dropping into a curtsy. “What brings you here?”

“I need to find a book within the library,” I tell her. I describe the tome and its contents to her and she frowns. 

Quietly, she answers, “I know which book you’re talking about. I moved all of the books with sensitive information to a more secure location after the attacks. I wasn’t sure what they were after, so I kept them hidden in case that’s why they came.”

I smile genuinely. “I appreciate that. That was a very smart move.”

She gives me a small smile. “You can find it on the fourth floor behind the bookshelf with the broken shelf. It’s in a small trunk.”

I thank her once more before turning and grasping Percy’s hand. We make our way back to the library and climb to the fourth floor, going through the shelves until we find one with a broken shelf. It’s at the end of the floor, almost hidden in the corner. Calypso was right about one thing; the books were well hidden. 

I rifle through the trunk behind the shelf and find almost a dozen books. The biggest tome of them all was the one we had been looking for: brown and gold trim with an iron spine. I place it on the ground next to me and look through the remaining contents of the trunk. There are nine other books, ranging from about one hundred pages to almost five hundred. None of them have titles or other identifiers to what they could be about. 

I make a mental note to examine them closer when I have more time. Percy takes the tome and hauls it to the table in the middle of the floor so that we can both look at the book together. “What was the name, again?”

“Pierre.”

Repeating the name in my mind, we go through the enormous book. We find five different Pierres, but only three of those have records of children. And only one of those three have a child who has died. 

His name had been Robin. He had died while working during harvest season. It was only two years ago. I remember what had happened: our crops had been in decline and everyone in the kingdom was worried about how we were going to survive the winter when the crops wouldn’t grow as much. My father had lowered the working age to fourteen instead of sixteen so that more crops could be harvested. The people who worked had to work longer hours and didn’t get as many breaks. 

Because of the working conditions, some of the people who had been working in the fields didn’t survive. 

I put a hand over my mouth in silent shock. Robin had been one of the first to fall due to overworking. My father had been upset about it, of course, but two years ago I had wondered if he was upset about the deaths or the loss of potential workers. 

Now I know why Pierre had wanted my father to know the loss of a child. I read through the records once more and count almost twenty children who had died due to the conditions. How many people hate the crown because of their deaths?

Percy sighs. When I look over to him, I see that he’s frowning. “The poor kids. Their poor families.”

And in that moment I see the kind of king Percy would be. Kind, empathetic, fair, and in pursuit of justice. And I can not wait to see how we would rule our kingdom. 

My betrothed turns to me and asks, “What can we do about this? We know why they planned the attack, but all we know is that Luke knows more.”

“I guess we’re going to have to find out what else he knows.”

We both wear grim expressions, knowing how dangerous it could be. Percy puts his hand on top of mine and meets my eye.

“As long as we’re in it together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a long time coming! Thank you all for being so patient, I was finishing up finals and moving back home and everything else. This series will be continued! Thank you so much for reading.
> 
> Reviews and comments are my lifeblood!


	14. King of Nothing At All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy POV. They find out more information but are concerned with the knowledge that comes with it.

The next few days are spent in the library, meticulously planning every aspect of their venture outside of the castle. Percy was initially worried about going back to where they had so nearly been discovered, but Annabeth had made a very logical case as to why they should go back to the crowded pub. The only link to the attacks that they knew of was there. 

Percy couldn’t think of any reason to argue with her logic and had reluctantly agreed. As the hours passed and their plan developed more and more, he stopped worrying as much. Both he and Annabeth were smart and handy with a weapon; they would be able to handle themselves in most situations. Should something happen, they had both proved themselves to be survivors in the past. 

Four days after making the connection of the deceased children and Pierre and Luke, they had the final result of their work. It was a good plan. Risky at some parts, but other than that, almost bulletproof. 

The morning of, Annabeth and Percy are walking through the gardens. It’s one of the very few places throughout the castle where they might not be overheard accidentally. They had spent more and more time together because of the plan. Since their shared time was serious, they didn’t indulge themselves in the activities they had participated in before. 

That’s why, when Percy knew no one could see them, he leans down and kisses Annabeth. She stiffens at first, surprised, but relaxes into the kiss and returns the favor. 

Percy cannot believe how lucky he is to be with Annabeth. He had known he was betrothed to the princess of the inland kingdom since he was a young boy, but other than some rumors of her temper, he knew nothing about her. His father had told him very little on purpose, refusing to aid in the potentially false perceptions of his son’s future wife. 

And now, as he kisses her deeply, he is happy. Annabeth is as smart as she is beautiful, which is to say limitlessly. Her mind is breathtaking and her smiles are intoxicating. He is constantly surprised by how amazing she is and he wouldn’t have it any other way. When she realizes something and grins brightly, Percy forgets his train of thought. But he doesn’t mind. 

Annabeth pulls away first, chuckling lightly. “We haven’t done that for a while.”

“Not nearly enough,” Percy laughs with her, taking her hand into his. 

“I’m just lucky that you find my sometimes obsessive behavior attractive,” she jests, squeezing his hand.

Percy raises his eyebrows and turns to look at her. “When did I ever say it was attractive?”

Laughing, Annabeth shakes her head. “If you didn’t, you would be in for a long marriage.”

“Yes, you win, I think it’s adorable,” Percy admits, smiling when he sees her grin.

“Annabeth!” 

The couple turns to see who is calling after them. It’s Piper, walking as briskly as she could in her heels over the uneven ground. They stop, waiting for her to get to them. When she does, she takes a deep breath and puts her hands on her hips. 

“Annabeth,” she begins. 

The woman in question tilts her head, waiting to hear what she had to say. 

“What in the hell do you think you’re doing!?” Piper almost screeches. 

Percy furrows his brows in shock as Annabeth recoils from her best friend. 

“How could you? Your own father would disown you if he knew!”

At that statement, Percy knows what she’s talking about. He didn’t know how, but she had found a way into the library and discovered their plan. Idly, he hoped it was the most updated and recent version which was marginally less dangerous than the other ideas. That might help their case.

“How could you be even thinking of going outside of the walls!?” Piper continues. 

Annabeth holds up her hands, trying to placate her. “It has to be done, that’s the only way we can put this to an end for once and for all. Don’t you care about the kingdom?”

“I care about you,” Piper answers, frowning. 

Her words take Annabeth off guard and she doesn’t respond for a moment. Percy steps in, finding the middle ground between both of their arguments. 

“We’re going to do it together. You and Jason can come as well; the two of you are skilled,” he offers. “That way you can keep an eye on us.”

Piper is quiet for a moment, thinking about the offer. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you or Percy.”

“What better way to do that than accompany us?” Annabeth asks. “I know you wouldn’t let anything happen.”

Her best friend frowns and crosses her arms. Percy waits, knowing that if he gave her enough time she would come to her final decision. Annabeth follows his lead and waits patiently for her answer. 

“Fine, we’ll do it.” 

o0o0o0o0o

Hours later, under the cover of darkness, the four friends are ready to make their move. Annabeth and Piper are dressed in matching cloaks, dark pants, and loose shirts. With both of them wearing boots without heels, they’ll be ready for whatever action will come their way. Like their partners, Jason and Percy are wearing dark colors, best for blending in with the night. Between the four of them, there are almost a dozen weapons. 

Percy has a long sword and two knives, Jason has three knives, Annabeth has a short sword and a knife thinner than a napkin but sharp enough to do a lot of damage, and Piper has four knives, two strapped to her thigh and the other two up her sleeve. The four of them had spent a good part of the afternoon going over which weapons they would be using should the need arise. Once they found which weapons they were best with, the only thing they had to do is wait for night to fall. 

Now, they are sneaking outside of the castle walls and scanning the area near them to make sure they were undiscovered. Annabeth and Piper go through the wall first and then call for the boys to follow through. Percy and Annabeth lead the way, having done the trip before. 

Percy’s train of thought derails as he realizes his first kiss with Annabeth had been in the bar they’re on their way to. He smiles at the thought, and looks over to his betrothed. 

Her hair is braided back away from her face so that she can focus on what’s in front of her. With her face bare of makeup, she, in his opinion, looks just as good as she does when she’s fully made up. But the look of determination in her eye is the most attractive thing about her right now. Feeling his gaze, she looks up to him and smiles back. 

Before Percy knows it, they arrive at the bar. It’s late, so it’s bustling with patrons and drunkards. The four of them share a look, preparing for what’s ahead. They have their plan set, with lines and roles built in. When they are ready, they enter the pub. 

Jason and Piper go up to the bar and order two drinks for the pair of them. Percy and Annabeth grab a table at the back, far from the bar and away from the potentially prying eyes of Luke, who had almost caught them eavesdropping just a short time ago. They don’t want to risk being recognized.

“How long should we wait before joining them?” Percy asks Annabeth as they watch the crowd. 

“Five minutes at least,” she replies, keeping her gaze down at the table. As the most easily recognizable person within their group, she has to keep a low profile. “We have to make sure that Luke isn’t talking about it already.” 

“They know what they have to look out for,” he answers, looking to see Jason and Piper laughing at something one of them had said. “The second that Luke says anything related to the attacks, they signal us.”

The pair don’t have to wait long until Jason makes the signal with his left hand. Annabeth and Percy stand and join them at the bar quickly. Luke is standing there, wiping a mug with a rag and looking at the four of them with a questioning stare. 

“How can I help you?” He asks, looking dubiously at Percy. 

“We heard you might be the man to talk to about wrongful deaths,” Percy murmurs quietly, trying not to attract the attention of the other patrons. 

Luke raises an eyebrow but doesn’t tell them to go away immediately. “This is a conversation that should take place in a different environment. Jeff, cover for me! I’m going outside.”

With all of their wits about them, the four follow Luke out past the back of the bar, into the hallway where Percy had first kissed Annabeth, and through the door that leads into the courtyard behind the property. Once they are safely outside of the bar, Luke turns to them properly and puts his hands on his hips. 

“What do you want?” 

“Information,” Jason says. 

“About?” Luke questions. 

“How to avenge the deaths of the innocent,” Annabeth answers, keeping her head down so that her face wasn’t visible. 

“Sorry, didn’t quite hear that, princess.”

Simultaneously, everyone’s faces morons into an expression of shock. The same thought passed through each of their minds: _Did he mean what he just said?_

Luke, reading their faces, laughs. “Oh, please, I knew it was her last week! You aren’t exactly subtle.”

“We just want information,” Annabeth repeats, frowning. “That’s it, we don’t want any trouble.”

Luke considers this for a second and then smiles cruelly. “That’s just the thing, Princess. That’s exactly what _I_ want.”

With a snap of his fingers, two men come to his side from the dark alley behind him. They’re armed and one of them hands Luke a sword. He gives it a twirl in his hand and faces a Annabeth once more. 

“There’s a price for your head and I intend to collect it.”

“You’ll have to go through me, first,” Percy snaps, stepping in front of his betrothed. 

“With pleasure,” Luke says before lunging forward, sword extended.

Percy parries the strike immediately, and the rest of the group breaks into action. Annabeth draws her short sword while Piper takes out her two knives from her sleeves. Jason takes on the guy on the left, leaving the man on the right for Piper and Annabeth. 

Jason and his attacker battle furiously, exchanging blows and moving back and forth. The man opposing the girls smiles dumbly, as if he couldn’t believe his fortunate luck. But what he doesn’t realize is how ready Annabeth is to protect her kingdom. She launches herself towards him, taking him by surprise. He recovers quickly, but Piper is there to support her friend.

Luke and Percy slash and parry faster than either thought possible. Percy had been trained by the best sword masters within the coastal kingdom. But he’s fighting for his life and he isn’t completely sure if he will emerge as the winner. 

“Where did you learn how to fight?” The man opposing Annabeth asks unbelievably. 

“Where did _you_ learn how to fight?” Annabeth jeers, blocking another blow from him. 

“Shut up, girl!”

“Oh, yeah, that’s clever,” Piper rolls her eyes as she avoids a slash from him. 

Jason and his attacker are faring far better than the others. Jason has his knife against the point of his throat, and challenges him. “When will the next attack be?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” the man spits, trying to lean away from the blade. 

“You’d like to tell me, if you plan on keeping your thirst in one piece,” Jason threatens. 

The man visibly gulps. “We have an informant within the walls! That’s how we know when’s best to attack. The next one will be next week, during the ball! He works in the kitchens! That’s all I know, I swear!”

Jason studies him for a minute before deciding to believe him. “Go. If I ever see you again, I won’t be so kind.”

The man turns and flees, closely followed by the man who had been fighting the girls. They are standing together, happy with their victory. At the same time, the three of them look to see how Percy is doing against Luke. It’s a close fight.

Luke makes one more slashing motion before standing back and holding his sword out in front of him, effectively stopping Percy from advancing. “Go,” Luke tells them. “I know when I’m outnumbered. But be careful, Princess. Not all faces within your castle are friendly.”

Percy waits a moment more before stepping out of his fighting stance and returning to Annabeth’s side. Jason and Piper move to be next to them. Luke gestures for them to leave around the side of the pub. Slowly, they move backwards until Luke is no longer within sight. As soon as they can, they sheath all of their weapons except Annabeth’s knife and run for it. 

Within half a mile of the castle, they slow to a walk. As they catch their breath, Jason tells them what he had found out. Piper and Annabeth frown at each other, both worried. They knew that there had been no new hires within the kitchen for years. Whoever the inside man is, had been there for a long time.

“What are we going to do?” Jason asks.

“My father won’t care about the new information,” Annabeth mutters. “Not as long as it comes from any of us. And he won’t believe anyone else, either.”

“Then we wait for the ball,” Percy says. “And we take them out when they make their move.”

The four of them discuss it further as they approach their home. All of them know just how dangerous this could be. But they’re all willing to do whatever it takes. For the kingdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The plot is slicing up :)
> 
> Reviews are my lifeblood, leave a comment!


	15. The Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the night of the ball. Annabeth POV.

The week flies by. Piper and I help the boys prepare for everything while working on our dresses during our spare time. We line our dresses with open spaces, perfect for hiding small knives or weapons for when they’re needed. The women and men assigned to helping us get ready for the ball don’t ask questions, but silently assist us in any way that they can. They’re the ones we know we can trust. 

And tonight, we find out if we’re prepared or not. It’s the night of the ball. The ball celebrating Percy and Poseidon coming to our kingdom and celebrating our engagement. It’s supposed to be a happy night, where I dance with my betrothed and celebrate the beginning of a beautiful marriage. 

But I’m lining my golden dress with knives and mentally going over the potentially murderous traitor working in my castle, in my home. It’s not going to be the happy night I thought I would have. 

Piper knocks on the door and enters my room. She’s holding the necklace that was specially made for tonight. She comes up behind me and drapes it across my clavicle. I shiver as the cool metal touches my skin. 

“It’s gorgeous,” she murmurs as she closes the clasp. 

I raise my hand to the metal. It had been worn by my mother on the night of her ball celebrating the engagement to my father. Years ago, she had told me that she had planned on giving it to me on the night of my engagement ball. Looking into the mirror and seeing it upon my neck makes me frown, rather than smile as I had thought I would. 

A surge of anger courses through me, anger at Luke, the traitor in the castle, my father, and more people than I can name. I shouldn’t be scared for tonight. I shouldn’t be afraid of Percy being hurt or losing Piper, my best friend in the entire world. I shouldn’t be worried for myself, wondering if I or the people I care about will survive the night. 

Before I know it, it’s time for a quick dinner in my private room with Piper, quietly going over the plan and all of our options. The minutes tick by too quickly for my liking. It feels like every two seconds I am glancing towards the clock in the vain hopes of time not passing.

Piper reaches over and lays her hand on my leg over my golden dress sheathed with weapons. “It’s going to be okay, Annabeth. No matter what, I know that it’s going to be okay.”

“But what if it’s not?” I can’t help but express my concern. My brows furrow. “There are so many things that could go wrong, we don’t even know who the mole is.”

“But you and Percy, together, can stop anything. You know that. And you’re going to have me and Jason right behind you the entire night. Grover is going to be there, too. Everyone in this castle that I trust and care about are going to be there for you and Percy. We aren’t going to let anything happen to anyone,” Piper says strongly, squeezing my leg. “And if you try to think differently, I—”

Laughing, I raise my hand to cut her off. “You’re right, Pipes. There’s a lot that can go wrong, but there’s a lot that can go right. I believe in us.”

_Because I have to._

An hour later, my dress is fully fastened, and my hair is braided away from my face in a complicated up-do. My face is done up with heavy makeup and lipstick, to the point where I’m not sure I recognize the woman in the mirror. Piper is done up as well, but she looks as gorgeous as she always does. 

“It’s time,” she murmurs, standing gracefully. I join her, mentally cursing the heels I am being forced to wear. 

“Let’s do this,” I reply, moving with her towards the door that leads to the hallway. There are two guards stationed outside of my bedroom door and they escort us towards the ballroom. Piper stays close, and I am grateful for it. 

Once we’re outside the ballroom, I force my nerves to steel themselves. There will be no room for doubt or error tonight. This is the beginning of my queendom and I refuse to let anything endanger myself or my kingdom. 

The doors open and the fanfare rings out, announcing my arrival. I hear one of the squires call out my name and I curtsy before descending the grand staircase of gold and marble. The ballroom is absolutely full, with so many colors and people and music and light. The band is playing jovial music in the corner, letting the angles of the ballroom resonate with the acoustics. In the center of the room, people dance with their ballgowns swishing with their every move. 

There is food in the far corner with servants dressed in all white delivering snacks to the guests. The laughter and chatter within the room is warm, and I am surprised to hear it all stop the moment my shoes reach the base of the staircase. 

“All hail Annabeth! All hail Percy!” 

The shouts are loud and in unison. I look through the crowd for my betrothed and my heart almost stops when I see him. In his black suit with golden sash to match my dress, he’s beyond handsome. I smile as wide as I can as he approaches me. Guests part like the seas for him and he reaches me in no time. 

Percy reaches out his hand and I take it. He kisses it gently and pulls me close to him. I know we cannot show any more affection than that in front of the crowd before our marriage, and I yearn to kiss him properly. But there will be time for that later. 

“You look beautiful,” he whispers. “Goddesses themselves will weep with jealousy tonight.”

I look into his eyes and feel nothing but pure happiness in that moment. I love him. This man in front of me, this prince who has constantly surprised me, supported me, and cared for me. The man risking his life tonight for my kingdom, soon to be our kingdom. 

“May I have this dance?” Percy asks, smiling the crooked smile that makes me swoon. 

“You may,” I tell him, and let him escort me out to the dance floor. 

The band resumes, and the air is filled with music. Warm music, with light notes and swells and falls. Percy spins me and I feel peace when he catches me. Both of us had grown up with ballroom dancing lessons, but there’s something else when we’re dancing. We move as a pair and in sync. We line up for the last note of the song with his hand on my waist and my hand on his chest. 

“Annabeth, I—” 

Before Percy can finish his sentence, the band members start screaming. We break apart and I see two of the violinists fleeing their post. There are men with red cloths over their faces chasing them and wielding swords. 

I look to Percy and he meets my eyes. “Be safe,” I tell him.

“You, too.”

With that, we separate. 

I pull two of the knives out of the pocket of my skirt and launch myself at the nearest attacker. I can’t see anything about him to identify anything. He could be the mole, or he could simply be a combatant within my home. Either way, there is no way he’s going to accomplish what he came to do tonight. 

I throw one of the knives at him, knowing I have more, and dodge his parry after the knife nicks his shoulder. I duck under his arm and lodge my second knife into his left shoulder blade. He goes down and I move on. 

From the corner of my eye, I see Percy fighting two of the masked men. He had hidden a sword on him somehow and he’s using it to the best of his ability. One of his attackers go down and he focuses on the second one. 

Before I can see him do anything else, I hear Piper’s voice.

“I don’t think so!” 

Turning, I see her throwing one of her knives at a man going after Jason. The two of them take on the man together and he doesn’t stand a chance. 

All around me, there are people running and screaming. Innocent guests trying to make their escape and reach safety. I don’t see my parents anywhere, which could mean one of two things. They’re safe, or they’re not. I swallow my fear and run after one of the masked men who pass me. 

I throw myself into the fray, shouting incoherently as I take on the men who attacked my home. I don’t know how much time passes until there is a moment of calm. I look around. Percy is fighting another man a couple dozen yards away from me while Piper and Jason are helping people get to safety. Grover is dueling with a man whose mask is askew. I think I recognize the blond hair. 

On the other side of the ballroom, Poseidon is fighting with a…trident? I don’t know where he had that, but he is using it quite well as he takes out two of the three men that are against him. I see my father, thankfully alive, dueling with one of the combatants. I don’t see my mother, which probably means she’s hidden in the safe room. 

Everyone is okay. That’s what matters right now. I turn, looking over my shoulder, trying to see if there is someone else to fight. Instead, all I see is darkness. Strong hands grab my arms and I can’t get them off of me. They drag me backwards and a hand covers my mouth before I can scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that there was such a long time before an update. There is so much going on in my life right now but I got my chapter out! Next one should be out sooner than later! Let me know what you think, comments make me write faster!


	16. After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy realizes what happened. Percy POV.

His first thought is that his muscles are tired. His sword is hanging by his side; and he doesn’t think he could pick it up if he truly needed to. Heaving, he looks around. Light is streaming in through some of the windows of the ballroom. Is it morning already?

The room looks so different than it had the night before. It’s darker, since all the lights were extinguished in the panic that was caused by the attack. The guests had left long before, leaving broken plates, abandoned heels, and more destruction in their wake. The room is, in one word, unrecognizable. 

To think that this was once a bright room full of laughing people and dancing is unfathomable. The band instruments are discarded and broken. There are less than half a dozen people left standing in the room and there are more bodies strewn across the floor than imaginable. Percy closes his eyes to avoid looking at the slain. 

“Percy!” 

He opens his eyes and looks toward the voice. It’s Jason, jogging over to him. He hugs him, and Percy blinks. After a moment, he hugs him back. His best friend is okay. 

“Are you alright?” Jason asks as he pulls away. He looks over Percy to make sure. 

Percy nods and looks past Jason’s shoulder. It’s Piper, sitting at the base of the stairs. Her dress is torn, and her hair is cascading around her face. As if feeling his gaze, she looks up and meets his eyes. Her face is red, and eyes are glassy. She’s crying. 

“Where’s Annabeth?” 

Jason frowns and scans the room. Percy does as well, and only sees himself, Jason, Piper, and two guards. Where is Annabeth?

“Piper!” Jason calls out to her, and she stands from the stairs and makes her way over to them. Percy notices how she cries harder as she passes the dead attackers. 

When she reaches them, Jason holds her to his chest. She sobs openly, grasping at his back. Percy looks away, trying to give her some semblance of privacy. When he can’t wait any longer, he asks, “Where’s Annabeth?”

Piper looks to him and shakes her head. “I haven’t seen her, I thought she was with you.”

Percy pales and feels more panic than before. “I don’t know where she is.”

“She might be in the saferoom or with a medic?” Jason offers, rubbing Piper’s shoulder. “We should look there before jumping to conclusions.”

_What if she’s hurt?_

Percy can’t stop the thought. He frowns and starts walking towards the safe room. Behind him, he can hear Jason and Piper following him. Once he’s out of the ballroom, he breaks out in a sprint. He has to find her. 

He has to tell her what he was about to tell her before the attack started. 

He doesn’t pay attention as guards openly watch him as he runs towards the safe room. He doesn’t see their concern or their surprise. Chiron watches him go silently. He knows better than to stop him.

At the saferoom, there are only three royals inside. The king, the queen, and Poseidon look up when Percy bursts into the room. His father stands and hugs him tightly, whispering words Percy doesn’t hear. Annabeth’s parents ask him if he has seen her, and he shakes his head. He explains how he thought she might be here, and her mother’s expression of worry nearly sends him over the edge.

Percy backs out of the room, and Jason and Piper look up from their conversation with one of the medics. Piper shakes her head, and he frowns. 

He doesn’t know how, but his back is against the wall and he’s staring ahead at nothing. Distantly, he hears Jason telling the medic that he’s having a panic attack and to help him. But it doesn’t matter. 

Annabeth is missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Thank you so much for all of the love with the last chapter! Reviews are my lifeblood and make me write faster!


	17. The Negotiation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth is taken by the attackers. She must keep her wits around her. Annabeth POV.

I wince as the bag is ripped off of my head. Blinking, my eyes try to adapt to the minimal light within the room. I’m in a small closet, probably in the east wing of the castle. When I see who is in front of me, I jerk back and painfully jab my shoulders into the wall. 

Luke grins when he sees my reaction. “Hello, princess. How are you doing?”

I glare at him in response. “What do you want, Luke?”

Luke looks over his shoulder to the two other men behind him. One I don’t recognize, but the other one I do. My heart sinks when I realize it’s Hendersen, a man who works in the kitchens. I’ve seen him thousands of times when I visit Leo. He’s been working in the castle for almost my entire life. How could he be the mole?

Hendersen refuses to meet my eyes. I clench my jaw and look back to Luke. “What do you want?”

“I want a lot of things, Annabeth. But mostly, I want revenge for what happened.”

“I had nothing to do with it and you know that,” I retort. 

Luke smiles, as if I had said exactly what he wanted me to say. “Here’s the thing, Annabeth. Most of the people within our cause lost their children due to your father’s actions. What we want with you is make him feel the pain they felt. An eye for an eye, as they say.”

With every word coming out of Luke’s mouth, I feel myself pale. 

_They want to kill me._

Hendersen is still silent in the corner. I focus on him. “Hendersen, who did you lose?”

He jumps slightly when he’s called on. “M-my brother, princess.”

“Why did you continue to work for the castle when you blame the crown for your brother’s death?” 

Hendersen continues looking down. Yet he answers without hesitation, “So I could do this.”

His answer breaks my heart. This man continued to work for the crown, which made a decision that resulted in the death of his brother, so that he could repay that hurt. To kill me so that my father would feel the pain of the people.

I drop my head. They were going to kill me because of my father’s decisions. His selfishness and greediness will result in me being unable to lead the kingdom in the way I wanted to run it, where we would flourish as a community. 

I will never be able to see Percy again. I won’t be able to tell him that I love him and that I wanted to marry him. I won’t be able to see his laugh or hear one of his stupid jokes. 

Tears well up in my eyes just at the thought of never seeing him again. To never tell him that I love him.

Luke chuckles at my tears. “Finally sinking in, huh, Princess? Theo, your turn.”

The man that I don’t recognize steps forward menacingly. In his hand, I see the small glint of a knife. I know how painful that death would be. It could be hours before I get away from the pain. 

“Wait, please, let me say something!” I choke out, watching Theo come ever closer. “Please, before you kill me.”

Luke tilts his head and holds up his hand, stopping Theo in his tracks. I only have moments to make my case. 

“My father made so many mistakes while king. I will never defend that part of his reign. He forced some decisions that truly hurt the kingdom instead of doing it for the best interest of the people. I am truly sorry for the pain caused because of his actions,” I say, meaning every word. “He is a selfish and greedy leader. He never sought the opinion of the people and only did what he thought best. He refused to let certain people do things because of their gender or their upbringing. He is a closed-minded leader who should never have been the king.

“But that’s not me. I will be queen soon and I will have learned from his mistakes, which is more than he can say. You can hurt him by hurting me, but that won’t solve the problem. The problem is that he is on the throne. He will outlive us all due to sheer spite if I die. He will never see the error of his ways and more people will get hurt.

“Luke, do you know why I snuck out to the pub all those times?” I direct the question to him. He shakes his head. “It’s because I was trying to find out what the people thought of the crown. What they thought of the decisions and what they thought they could do better. I never went because I wanted the thrill of sneaking out and rebelling against my father. It was so that I could find out how to be a good leader for the kingdom. It was for people like you, Luke. And you, Theo, and you, Hendersen. 

“I have studied so many different parts of being a leader, from how to curtsy properly to how to schmooze foreign leaders. But none of that matters if the people of my kingdom aren’t happy. That’s my main concern and I read in the library about the working ages and the measures and how many people were affected by that poor decision. I can’t tell you how sorry I am that that happened. But that will never happen when I am queen. I can promise you that.”

My chest is heaving after my speech. Luke’s expression is neutral while Hendersen frowns and Theo looks to Luke. 

“Hm,” is all that Luke says. 

“Do you believe her?” Theo asks him quietly. 

“Kill me if you don’t.”

It’s a daring move but it’s the only one I have left. There’s a good chance they will kill me anyways, so I have to try it. 

Luke raises his eyebrows. 

“Believe me and let me live, let me be the Queen that this kingdom deserves,” I say. “If you kill me, nothing will change except for the worse. My father will be driven by hate and not care who he harms. More blood will be on your hands than just mine. Let me give the people what they deserve.”

Luke says silent for another moment. I can tell that he’s thinking hard. 

“Alright.”

I blink in surprise. “What?”

“You made good points. I want you to be what this kingdom deserves. I will let you live so that you can right his wrongs. I came here not to kill you, but to make a change. We thought killing you would make the king see what he did was wrong, but you’re right. It wouldn’t help; it would only make things worse. Live and change this kingdom for the better, Princess.”

He was serious. I was going to live. Oh, thank the gods. 

Luke steps forward, slowly, and helps me to my feet. My once golden dress is dirtier and torn in several places. I lost my left shoe at some point and my hair is tangled around my face but I don’t care. I’m going to live. 

Theo sheathes his knife and Hendersen wrings his hands. Luke opens the door to the small closet and bright light floods the room. I blink and follow the three of them out into the hallway. 

“Get home safely,” I tell them. “I won’t send guards after you. You could have harmed me, but you didn’t. I choose to not harm you, too. But don’t be mistaken; my home is not to be threatened. Hendersen, you no longer have a job here.”

He takes a quick gasp. 

“But I will find a good job for you outside of the castle walls. I promise. Now please, go home. I have matters to attend to.”

The three of them break into a jog and disappear from my sight. At that moment, I know I am safe. My adrenaline breaks down and I take a ragged breath. Tears spring to my eyes and I can’t stop them. I had been through so much in the past couple of hours that I need a moment to myself. I wipe at my eyes, trying to calm down, but can’t. 

“Annabeth!”

I turn to the voice and almost start crying of happiness. 

It’s Percy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so fun to write. I’ve had this chapter idea in my head for such a long time I was so happy to finally write it! I am sad that this series is coming to an end soon :(
> 
> Leave a comment!

**Author's Note:**

> I have started a new fic! I'm really excited about this one, I have loads of ideas already. I hope you guys like it, the next one should be up soon!


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